Within: Part 2
by missbrat155
Summary: A new relationship, past troubles, and an unknown future: Sequel to Within: Part 1
1. Chapter 1

_A/N – Well here is the story you've all been waiting for! I'm looking forward to writing again and hearing all your commentaries! Sorry for the little delay, I've been having issues with school… Here we go… _

**Chapter 1:**

Lucy sat and looked at Jack's blank face. As everyone sat working, finishing up the paperwork on the drug bust case they had just finished, Jack sat staring out the window, obviously lost in thought. Lucy hadn't been the only one who had noticed Jack's withdrawal in the last few weeks. The whole team could see how unhappy and miserable he was, and they all knew why.

It had only been three weeks ago, when they had all found out the tragic news about Sue's brother Ben and his family, having been killed by the family serial killer the team had finally caught. Sue had taken the news hard, and had quickly left without a word to anyone, showing up two days later, changed and grieving silently. Everyone had noticed the difference in her, especially when she had passed out suddenly her first day back. After being diagnosed with Hypoglycemia as well, Sue had finally admitted everything to Jack, begging him to not tell anyone so they would catch the man who was on the loose and not get involved personally. It was only until right after they had caught him that the team had found out and Sue had decided to take some time off to heal and grieve with her family.

Though Lucy had been away, she quickly realized how the relationship between Sue and Jack had changed in her absence. Being alone while Lucy was in Arizona for a conference, after Sue had been hospitalized, Jack had decided to move in with her to help take care of her. Through everything that had happened, everyone had realized that they had finally admitted that they cared about each other more than as just coworkers and friends. And now, it was especially evident on Jack's face, everyday since Sue had left.

Sue's empty desk the last three weeks had affected them all. Lucy missed her roommate and best friend, but from talking to her almost everyday, she could hear that the time off was doing her good. She asked a lot about Jack, and though she knew that they talked on the phone probably more often than they did, Lucy knew Sue was worried about him too.

Bobby looked up from his computer, and saw Jack, staring off into the distance again. Looking at his watch, he announced loudly, and watched Jack snap out of his thoughts and listen in,

"Well, I think it's about time we head for lunch; I'm starved. Where to?" He turned to look at Jack, who glanced at his watch, a stunned look on his face, and then quickly grabbed his coat.

"Sorry, but I've got a meeting in about 10 minutes and I don't want to be late. I'll be back in a bit." He hurried out the door, as everyone watched him, wondering where he was going, and worried about how he was handling Sue's absence.

-----

Jack looked around the park, hoping to see her. Suddenly she appeared in his line of sight, sitting on a bench, looking around, waiting for him. A smile appeared on his face, knowing that this meant a lot to her. A big grin appeared on her face as he sat down next to her.

"I'm so glad you're here Jack!" Amanda signed.

"It's nice to see you too." He signed back. "How is school going?" She shrugged.

"Okay. Do you know when Sue's coming home?" Jack shook his head sadly.

"I don't know, but I know she misses you." Amanda nodded and looked at her feet. Sue had talked to Jack about Amanda a few days ago when she had called to talk to him. Apparently she had talked to her a few times, and Amanda was feeling very lonely. Her dad had been in and out on business the last month, and now with Sue gone, she felt like she had no where to go. Plus, she had been stuck with a sitter who barely paid any attention to her. Sue hadn't asked Jack to meet up with her, it was his idea, but Jack knew how much Amanda would appreciate it.

"I really miss her." Amanda finally signed. Jack gently touched her arm.

"I know you do, but I know she won't be gone that much longer. I also know that I can't replace her, but I'm feeling like an ice cream – what do you think?" Amanda gave him a small smile and nodded, before signing thank you.

-----

After spending some time with Amanda, Jack walked her back to school, and took a long walk through the park before heading back to the office. He wished he could have given her a more definite answer as to when Sue was returned. Jack missed having her around, especially since they had grown so much closer. She sounded much better, having had time off to heal and spend time with her family, and though she wasn't certain exactly when she would be back, she assured him it would be soon. They talked at least once a day on the phone, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for hours. More and more Jack realized that he couldn't live without her anymore. They both had talked about what was going to happen when she got back, and they were both excited to see where their relationship was going to go.

-----

Sue finished packing up her last suitcase, ready to take an early flight out in the morning. Her mom still wasn't the same, but she was improving since her daughter had been home to help her get over the loss of her son, daughter in law and three young grandchildren. As much as Sue enjoyed her time in Ohio, she missed her life in Washington more than ever, especially her friends. She talked to Lucy at least once a day, and missed her company, and the laughs they would share. Most of all she missed Jack. Some nights they would talk for hours before bed, sometimes laughing, sometimes sharing memories, sometimes just relishing in the silence.

The ache for Ben, Gracie and the kids had lessened in the last few weeks, but Sue still felt different. She didn't see things the same way. Life suddenly felt more precious, and though she didn't want to admit it, work seemed a little more dangerous. Nevertheless, home sounded better than ever, and she couldn't wait to see the look on Jack's face when she finally got to see him again after over three weeks of being apart.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N – You know me, I always like to keep things fluffy at the beginning :)_

**Chapter 2 :**

Jack walked into the office the next morning, trying not to look at the empty desk next to his, wondering when she was finally going to come home. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her the evening before, and was hoping she'd call at work, like she sometimes did, to say hello to all her friends. As he was checking his email, Jack could feel a pair of eye staring at him. He turned to look at Bobby, who made his way over.

"You know mate. We're all wondering where you were and why you were gone so long yesterday at lunch." Jack smiled, knowing that they were all probably concerned and had no idea that he had spent the hour with a lonely, deaf, 13 year old.

"I had a special meeting with someone." Bobby raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not even going to ask, seeing as though I don't think you're going to tell me anyways." Bobby looked at him more seriously. "I know you miss her mate, but she said she'll be home soon." Jack nodded, his sad face reappearing.

"How are things with you?" Jack asked his best friend, knowing that he wasn't the only one having relationship problems.

"Ever since Darcy went to LA, and we had decided to try and stay in contact, it hadn't been the same. She told me she met someone there." Jack could tell how hurt Bobby was, especially after having offered to move with her, and having her turn him down. But Jack also knew there was someone else in that very room who had crept her way into Bobby's heart. Jack turned to look at Tara, who was smiling and busy talking on the phone, occasionally glancing at him. Bobby looked at her too, and Tara blushed slightly at his big grin. She hung up the phone, and immediately went over to where Lucy was sitting, and started whispering in her ear. A huge smile broke out on her face as well, and Myles finally spoke up,

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing!" The two women said in unison, making their way into the hall. Jack turned to Bobby who just shrugged and went back to his work. Hoping that Sue would call and wishing the day would pass, Jack turned back to his work, trying to concentrate and forget the blonde woman who had wiggled her way into his heart.

-----

Late morning, Dimitrius came into the bullpen and walked up to Jack's desk. Jack looked up from his work, to talk to his good friend and supervisor,

"Hey, what's up?" Jack asked, noticing that Tara was watching them with a big smile.

"I need you and Tara to meet someone for us and bring them in for questioning. They will be arriving shortly at the airport and it is imperative that you meet them right away. There is a lot to discuss, and I think you would be the best person for the job." Jack looked at Dimitrius' face, which remained completely neutral. He turned and saw that Myles and Bobby weren't even looking up from their desks. At first, he thought maybe this was some practical joke, but the only person smiling at him was Tara, and he figured it was just because she got to go along and she was trying to be nice.

"Alright, no problem." Jack said. Dimitrius said a little quieter,

"I thought it might be good for you to get out a bit, and get your mind off someone we all miss." Jack nodded and thanked him. "I need to talk to Tara first. She'll meet you at gate 15 and help you find the person we are looking for." Jack grabbed his coat and things, and said goodbye to his friends before heading out the door towards the airport. He was happy to get out a bit, and decided that when he got back, he would give Sue a phone call and see if maybe she knew when she was coming home. The sun was shining so brightly, and the sky was so blue, Jack felt like things were going to start getting better.

-----

The moment Jack had left, Tara burst out laughing. It wasn't long before everyone had joined in.

"I'm so happy he didn't catch on." Bobby said. "Though, when I got your email Sheila, he was standing right behind me. It was a close one." Tara's eyes twinkled as she gave Lucy a big grin.

"I think he thought it was a practical joke." Dimitrius added in. Lucy joined in,

"We told her to tell him that he has the rest of the day off. She'll be back at work tomorrow, and she's very excited to be coming home." Everyone went back to their desks, excited that their team was finally going to be complete again, after so many days of being apart.

-----

Jack parked his car and made his way into the airport. He suddenly had flashbacks of the last time he had been here. Sue had called him, after having disappeared for two days, asking him to pick her up at the airport. When he had seen her, his heart had sunk at how pale and discouraged she had looked. Now he finally understood why, but he couldn't help but remember how torn he had felt about her, especially at that time when he hadn't known what was going on.

Waiting for Tara to arrive to meet their mystery guest, Jack slowly made his way towards Gate 15, to see a few people staggering out with their luggage. He looked at his watch and realized it was still a bit early for the flight he and Tara were waiting for, so he grabbed a seat near the back and started looking around at all the people. He couldn't help but smile when he saw an older lady slowly make her way out, taking slow cautious steps. An older man quickly made his way over to her and kissed her on the cheek, enveloping her frail body in his arms, walking next to her, both of them with memories of decades they had spent together. Jack knew it was still soon, but he wished that one day, him and Sue could be like that.

About 10 minutes later, Jack got up again, and started to wonder where Tara was. He looked around for a few minutes, when he felt his blackberry vibrate. Figuring it was Tara telling him he was late, he grabbed it out of his pocket and looked at the message, frowning. He couldn't see who it was from, and all it said was:

_Turn around_.

He whipped around quickly, and looked in shock and the blonde woman he had been thinking about so often the last three weeks made her way closer to him, her eyes moist with tears, a big smile on her now brighter face. Jack thought that maybe he was hallucinating, and stood stunned trying to process everything, when he suddenly realized that his friends had set him up. A huge grin spread across his face as she stood in front of him.

"Hey Jack." She said quietly. Slow tears streaming down her face, but not erasing her happy smile.

"Welcome Home Sue." He replied back, before taking her into his arms and holding her tightly, ecstatic that she was home again.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N – I'm a firm believer of writing fluff before it gets too serious, but to warn you, it is going to come! I am also thrilled to announce that Within Part 1 has become my story with the most hits – I've reached well over 16000! Thanks for all the support; you guys make this all worthwhile! _

**Chapter 3:**

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today?" Jack said, though still grinning from ear to ear to see her radiant face again.

"I figured it would be more fun to surprise you." Her face turned more serious. "How are you doing?" He passed her her coffee and sat down across from her at the table in the coffee shop.

"Much better now that you're back. What about you? How have you been handling everything?" Sue squeezed his hand and gave him a small reassuring smile, trying to express the conflict in her heart.

"I'm doing better." She started. "I can't say honestly that I'm completely over what had happened with Ben, Gracie and the kids. It's going to take some more time, but I knew it was time to go home and continue on with my life."

"What about work?" Jack asked quietly, wondering himself how she was going to handle everything, especially with the emotions of her loss still so fresh. Sue took a deep breath.

"I want to… I need to go back to work Jack. I've been away for so long. But to be honest," she looked him right in the eye, "I'm a little scared." Jack looked at her carefully,

"What are you afraid of?" He asked gently.

"Life is so precious Jack. You never know when your time could be up. I know that you can't just live life in a hole, completely sheltered from the world, but there's so much yet I want to do with my life, and…" a few tears started to roll down her cheek. Jack let her continue, and just squeezed her hand, knowing that she just needed to get things out. "I can't help but feel angry at God for Him taking away their lives. They were so little, so little Jack."

"God must have had a different plan for them, and I know in your heart you know that, even if it's hard to see that now. You can take it as slow as you need to at work. I'm just so glad your home." Jack took a breath. "As much as I hate saying this – if it's too much for you now, you could always switch to another unit, one with less pressure. We would hate to lose you, but your health has to come first from now on." Sue nodded, but smiled.

"I know Jack, but I don't want to go anywhere, at least not yet. I know how much you guys need me."

"I know how much I need you." Jack said quietly, squeezing her hand as she looked at him with a serene smile.

"What's going to happen, now that I'm back? With us?" Jack looked at her determinedly.

"Your right. Life is too precious and there are so many things I haven't accomplished, or wanted to do. A wife, some kids…a dog." He looked at Levi, who barked, as Sue smiled remembering when she had said this to him. "I could be happy in a place like that. But I don't want it to be one day anymore. Dimitrius already said it was all right if we started seeing each other. You're not an agent anyways. No more pretending right?" Sue nodded.

"So it's official?" She asked, looking at him a little shyly. "We're official?" Jack nodded, and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Come on – let's get you home. I know I'm not the only one who wanted to see you." They got up from the table, and walked to Jack's car, hand in hand.

-----

Jack had a feeling something was up as he drove up to Sue's apartment, having passed a few familiar vehicles down the street. Sue seemed to be quite tired still, and didn't seem to notice. After parking the car, he grabbed some of her bags, while she grabbed the rest, and they trekked their way to her and Lucy's place. Just as she opened the door, she dropped her bags, as all her friends yelled "surprise"! Sue could almost hear the expression of elation in their voices, just from the look on their faces, and the hugs that quickly ensued. She was sure glad to be home.

-----

"Are you sure you're ready to be back at work?" Lucy asked, as they finished getting ready to go.

"I'm sure. I've had 3 weeks off, and almost 2 weeks before that. I'll just take it easy for now, but the doctor said I'm in fine health again, and the nutritionist gave me good tips to make sure I eat right for this hypoglycemia thing." Lucy grinned at looked at her best friend.

"I wish I could have seen a picture of Jack's face when he turned around at the airport and saw you. He had no clue what was going on." Sue laughed.

"It was priceless. He looked so shocked at first. There's something else I guess I should tell you." Lucy looked at her best friend curiously.

"Jack and I are official." Sue wished she had a camera to take a picture of Lucy's face. After a few seconds of silent shock, Sue watched as Lucy's mouth formed, what she imagined was a loud scream, before hugging her and jumping up and down. Sue knew Lucy would be excited, but she couldn't help but laugh.

-----

Sue was happy to sit back down at her desk after 5 weeks of being away. Levi seemed thrilled to be back as well, and she could tell the rest of her team were glad to be together again. She knew it wouldn't be long before they would have another case. Just as she was wondering what it would be, Dimitrius walked into the room, giving her an encouraging smile as he went. She appreciated all the support.

"We have a new case." He announced as everyone carefully listened in.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Sorry for the delay in posting! I've been working mostly on my other story, "His Choice", but I'll be going with this one as well, as often as I have the time. I've also been away at home all weekend – I had a doctor's appointment to finally get my hearing aid! It amazing, the sounds I've never heard before! And… I am SO not ready to get too angsty yet… but it's coming!

**Chapter 4:**

"We have a new case." Dimitrius announced. Everyone turned to look at him, Jack giving Sue a reassuring smile first. "We have been hearing some chatter from over in the middle east. Plans for an attack on Washington D.C."

"These terrorists become more and more original – how many times have we heard this before." Myles said, rolling his eyes. "What else do we know?"

"Unfortunately not much at this point; the people over at the NSA are still trying to break the codes. What we need to do is start talking to our snitches, and our legat's out in the Middle East. Let me know as soon as any of you find anything. And Sue, could I see you in my office?" Sue nodded, and turned to look at Jack, who shrugged. She got up and followed D out into the hall.

"I wonder what that's about?" Bobby asked, looking at Jack, who shrugged again, not knowing himself, but Jack trusted D, and he was sure it was just him making sure she didn't overwork.

-----

"Please take a seat Sue." Dimitrius said, as Sue sat down, giving him a small smile. "How are you?"

"I'm much better. It was good to go home for a few weeks." She responded quietly.

"We're sure happy to have you back again." She smiled at him serenely. "There are a few things we need to talk about though." She nodded. Sue had expected something like this to happen when she got back.

"Firstly – I want to make sure your work load isn't too heavy at this point. This case might turn quite big, and I want you to know that you're to work the sidelines. Just for now."

"I expected as much."

"If there are any problems, please let me know." Sue smiled and nodded. "Secondly – I've had some of the big bosses come down from upstairs to talk to me about what had happened a few weeks ago." Sue looked at him curiously, as D leaned forward.

"We go back awhile now, and I want you to know that I defended you completely, but I also will always be honest with you. They weren't happy that you didn't let anyone know that your brother and his family had been victims. They feel that it could have compromised the case. They are also weary about your… mental status after what had happened." Sue couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I couldn't tell you guys, and I pulled myself off! Another team might not have caught him and I knew you guys could do it. And as for my "mental status", I went home for a few weeks. I'm not saying I'm over what happened, but I just want to move on with my life." Dimitrius touched her hand gently.

"That's exactly what I told them. I also told them that since you've been home, you've been functioning completely normally and that I seriously doubted that your personal grief would interfere with your work. You have a clean record, and I made a point of telling them that. They've agreed to let it go for now, but they want me to keep and eye on you. Not that I'm sure another person will be anyways. They've also recommended that you start seeing the bureau psychologist for a bit. And it might not hurt, you know, to have a professional to talk to about everything." Sue sat in silence.

"I don't mind seeing the psychologist, I just feel like they don't have faith in me anymore." D shook his head.

"They might be being cautious, but we all have faith in you and know you'll pull through. We'll do anything to make this transition easier."

"Thanks D. I promise I won't overdo it." He smiled at her reassuringly, as she got up and left. The smile quickly disappeared as he looked down at the paper on his desk that he had read a few times through. It was requesting him to watch Sue closer, and report on her behavior daily for the next two weeks. He knew they had always questioned whether she belonged out on the field, but he knew that she had more than proved her merits.

D also knew that Jack would be keeping a very close eye on her the next few weeks, especially now that they had officially decided to start dating. But he also had the feeling that this case that they had just found out about was going to be tough, and drain them all. He knew that Sue would perform to the best she could, but he was worried about how she was going to handle everything, and how he was going to report it to make sure the guys upstairs didn't even consider taking her away from their team. She had become apart of their family, and he knew that nothing would break her heart, and all of theirs more than if she was forced to leave.

-----

Sue walked back into the bullpen to see Jack and Bobby grabbing their coats.

"Where are you guys going?" She asked. They both turned and grinned at her. Jack asked,

"How was your meeting with D?" She smiled.

"Fine. So?"

"We're heading to go talk to an informant of mine – Ahmed Raman." Bobby answered. Jack looked at her closely. He knew that they normally went to talk to informants together, but she didn't seem bothered.

"I'm going to call up our favorite informant Howie, and maybe meet him tomorrow. For now, I've got plenty of paperwork to catch up on…" She answered happily, rolling her eyes. Jack grinned, and went back to his desk and scribbled something on a scrap piece of paper.

"Come on mate…" Bobby whined. Jack just kept scribbling, before folding up the note.

"Let's go," Jack said as he stopped by Sue's desk. "See you later?" She gave him a big smile and nodded, but looked at him curiously as he quickly handed her the note and walked out following Bobby. She looked at Tara and Lucy who were giggling together. Myles walked by and said loudly,

"Note passing. Hmm… what are we – in junior high?" Sue just rolled her eyes and opened up the note. Lucy and Tara came over and hovered behind her.

"What does it say?" She said excitedly, but Sue hid the words from her, grinning.

"Nothing…" They both tried to give their best pouty looks as they went back to their desks. Sue pulled out her blackberry and began to type:

You're on. See you at 1pm at Slappy's. Love, Sue.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Jack walked into Slappy's and saw Sue already waiting at a table near the window. She smiled as she watched him walk over, and give her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.

"How was your meeting with Bobby's informant?" She asked, once they had gotten their food.

"It was good. He's going to try and find out more with what's happening." Sue nodded. They ate for a few moments in silence. Jack could tell something was on her mind as she absentmindedly stared out the window. He touched her hand and she turned to look at him again, trying to hide the look on her face, by giving him a small grin. "What's wrong?"

"It's just the meeting with D…" She said, drifting off, not really wanting to get into the subject, but knowing Jack that he would want to know what was bothering her.

"What happened?" He asked, his brow furrowed, as he took another sip of his milkshake.

"D wanted to make sure I didn't overwork, but he also told me some other things, and I can't seem to get them out of my mind." She started.

"What things?" Jack replied, gently, not wanting to push.

"Between us?" He nodded. Jack loved that she was confiding in him, not as her coworker, but as her boyfriend. She continued, "The guys upstairs aren't happy with me. They didn't like that I didn't say anything about my brother and his family. The think I was lucky to not have compromised the case."

"That's ridiculous!" Jack said, looking scandalized.

"I see their point," She said, squeezing his hand, trying to calm him, but appreciative that he was defending her. "They also are worried I'm "mentally unstable". D didn't say, but I get the feeling they are seriously having their doubts about me."

"You've more than proved yourself Sue. They have to see that. I know that Dimitrius would have defended you to them. They just don't know you like we do." Sue gave him a small, but unconvincing smile.

"I know, but it's so frustrating, feeling like they don't trust me anymore. They also want me to start seeing the psychologist."

"It might help?" Jack suggested softly. She shrugged.

"It could. That's not what bugs me though. Even after 4 years, the smallest thing makes them doubt me."

"It's because they don't know you." Jack said again. She nodded. "Don't worry about it – nothing's going to happen, and they'll see how invaluable you are to us. No one on our team is going to let them take you away. I can promise you that." Sue couldn't help but grin.

"You mean you wouldn't want to get rid of me if you had the chance?" Jack winked at her.

"Never."

-----

Jack and Sue walked back into the bullpen, to the smiles of all their friends.

"How was lunch?" Lucy asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"You know, you could have just told us you wanted to be alone, rather than passing notes to each other." Bobby said. Jack and Sue both knew that going public was going to mean a lot of comments from their friends, but they didn't mind. Jack turned to look at Sue.

"It's too bad I can't go out for lunch with my girlfriend without being interrogated." Sue rolled her eyes and smiled.

"That still sounds so weird. Girlfriend, boyfriend and us in the same sentence." Jack looked at her,

"I know. But it's a good weird." She nodded and went back to her desk, watching as Jack sat down as his. Their eyes locked for a few moments, which the rest of the team noticed.

Bobby looked away from the cute couple, when he heard his phone ringing. A few minutes later, he hung up the phone and stood up,

"Alright everyone. The eminent attack is official. My informant, Ahmed Raman got in contact with some of his buddies. Word is a biological attack from the Middle East. He also thinks the bacteria might already be here."

"Does he know what it is?" Myles asked, dreading the answer.

"Not yet, but he's going to keep trying to find out. Maybe the guys at the NSA will be of some help as well." Bobby replied. Jack added in,

"We need to find out what that bacteria is, and who has it. Hopefully we can intercept it before it comes into the country, unless it's already here."

"Someone should go brief D on what's happening. He's going to need to know." Tara said. Bobby decided to go do it and left. Jack continued,

"Myles, keep contacting our legat's out in the Middle East – anything to narrow this down will help. There is still too much we don't know." Myles nodded and reached for his phone. "Lucy, Tara, Sue – try and get a hold of your informants as well, and see what you can pull up on biological warfare – it might help if we have a general idea of what we're looking for. Tara – contact the NSA as well; see if they're getting anywhere. I'm going to catch up with Bobby."

Sue opened up the Internet on her computer and started to search whatever she could concerning biological weapons. She had to work hard, and do a good job, because she knew that they were probably keeping a close eye on her, and that the job that she loved could very well be at stake.

-----

Jack knocked before entering D's open door. Bobby had just finished informing him on what was going on.

"The NSA is sending someone over soon. They'll want to meet with you soon; they probably have more information by now." Bobby started to make his way out the door, but stopped when he noticed Jack wasn't following.

"I just need to talk to Dimitrius privately for a second." Bobby nodded,

"I'll meet you back at the bullpen." He left and closed the door behind him. D knew exactly what was coming.

"What can I do for you Jack?" Jack took a deep breath.

"Sue told me what had happened this morning, and about how the guys upstairs aren't happy with her. I want to know the whole story."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N – Sorry for the delay everyone! Things have been really hectic lately with school and work!_

**Chapter 6:**

"I assume Sue told you about what the bosses upstairs are saying." Dimitrius started.

"Yeah – she did. And I think it's bugging her more than she's letting on. What's going on? They know her. They know she wouldn't purposefully compromise the case, and she didn't! She pulled herself off!" Jack said, starting to get slightly irate.

"Jack… Calm down. That's exactly what I told them. And since Sue agreed to see the psychologist, I'm sure they'll chill out about it. I wouldn't worry. None of us are going to let the higher up's take her away." Jack sighed, and D could tell there was more on his mind than just Sue being forced to leave the team.

"It's not just them making her leave. If she's thinking they don't trust her, Sue's going to start trying to prove herself again. She's going to start working herself too hard just to prove to them upstairs that she's good at what she does. With this case, I'm worried what that could do to her health. Not just mentally, but physically. She's had a really rough 5 weeks." Jack spilled out, knowing he could trust his friend and supervisor.

"They've instructed me to keep a close eye on her and to report on her behavior…" Jack went to interrupt, looking furious, but Dimitrius stopped him. "She'll do fine. I didn't tell her about it because I didn't want her to doubt herself even more. The difference now is you two are together. You can make her go home, you can help distract her from work…" They both turned to look at the door as someone knocked and opened it up. It was Lucy.

"Sorry to interrupt but I thought you both should know there's a Ryan Creston here from the NSA. He has more information for us."

"Thanks Luce. We'll be right there." Dimitrius answered. Jack got up, acknowledging that their conversation was over. "Just take care of her like we all know you will and things will be fine. She's strong but she knows her limits." Jack nodded and followed him out the door to the bullpen.

-----

Sue smiled as she saw Jack walk back into the office, followed by Dimitrius. He returned it with a big grin before going over to the man standing by Myles and Bobby's desks and shaking his hand.

"Ryan Creston, I'm with the NSA. Pleased to meet you." The tall, dark haired man said.

"Jack Hudson. I hear you have more information for us?" He nodded and got straight to the point.

"We have word that there are five terrorists from Yemen in America that are planning a biological attack here in D.C." The room went silent at the news. Hearing it from someone else made it all the more real, and more serious.

"Do we know what they are planning to disperse?" Myles asked, breaking the silence.

"We can't be 100 sure at this point, but from what we've found out, and we're almost certain of our sources, it's the Tularemia bacteria."

"Tula…?" Sue said, looking at Jack to fill her in on the word she had missed. He fingerspelt it for her, but she still looked at Ryan confused. He continued, knowing that they knew little about it.

"It's caused by a bacteria called _Francisella tularensis_. You can acquire it through the blood or other bodily fluids, but for biological purposes, it can be put into the air. The good news is, as an airborne pathogen, it requires thousands of the bacteria to infect one person, but still, if our sources are correct, it could cause an epidemic if even a few people are infected. The airborne form is also much more serious and causes typhoidal or pneumonic tularemia."

"How serious is it?" Sue asked quietly.

"It can be fatal if not treated. There are some drugs that can be used to fight it, such as Streptomycin or Tetracycline. I suggest you talk to the local hospitals so that they can start looking for the drug and storing it up. If it's not treated as soon as possible, the symptoms can worsen, eventually leading to death."

"We need to find those five men." Jack said, looking at the grave faces of the rest of his team, all nodding in agreement.

-----

"High fever, headache, collapse, abdominal pain…" Sue said quietly to Jack as he made his way over to her desk. The sun had just set, leaving the room darker, with the exception of the desk lights that attempted to brighten the room.

"Symptoms?" He asked. She nodded.

"It takes a few days for it even to appear. Someone could be infected and not even know, before they spread it to someone else." She told him, looking at Jack with slightly scared eyes.

"We'll find them before that happens." He smiled, trying to encourage her. "Come on, let's get out of here for tonight. Everyone else is gone and there isn't much more we can do."

"I should really finish this…" She said, avoiding Jack's stare. He touched her hand lightly as she looked up.

"You don't have to work yourself to death just to prove to them that you belong. You still need to take it easy. Dimitrius told me it's really not a big deal, and they are content now that you're going to talk to the psychologist." She nodded, but Jack could tell she wasn't convinced. But D was right - this time was different. Now he was involved, personally, and he could make sure that she didn't overwork. He went over and grabbed her coat from the hook, standing there waiting. A small grin appeared on her face, as she took it.

"You always seem to make me get out of my work. Maybe they should think about investigating you." Jack smiled to see her old humor coming back. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"They already know I'm trouble. Come on, let's get out of here for a bit and clear our heads before tomorrow. No more work tonight." He said, stopping and turning to face her. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Deal." She said and signed with her free hand, as she and Jack then made their way out of the bullpen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Sue rolled over as she felt Levi jump onto her bed. She turned to look at the clock, which was blinking just after 3am.

"What is it Buddy?" Sue said tiredly. She turned to see her blackberry buzzing on her bedside table. She picked it up to see a message from Jack:

Sorry to wake you – We might have found the house where they might be storing the bacteria. They need everyone in as soon as possible. See you soon. Love, Jack.

Sue hurried and grabbed some clothes out of her drawer when she saw Levi jump up on her bedroom door. She went to open it, to see Lucy standing exhausted on the other side, already dressed.

"You got the message?" She said, as Sue nodded.

"I'll be right out." Sue got dressed as quickly as she could, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail and heading out her door.

"Are you okay?" Lucy said, looking at her concernedly. "You look a little pale."

"I'll be okay. Its just lack of sleep – if nothing's happening, I'll either leave early and take a nap, or go to bed really early tonight. I'll grab a granola bar for the ride there." Lucy nodded as she watched her friend grab some food, before they both headed into the empty, dark streets to Lucy's car.

-----

"We leave in 20 minutes!" D said quickly, as he made his way out of the buzzing bullpen.

"What's happening?" Lucy asked as she walked over to her desk. Everyone gathered around where Jack and Bobby were standing.

"We have a lead on a house where the bacteria may be stored. It would be hard to weaponize it somewhere other than a laboratory, so we don't know what form the bacteria is in as of right now." Bobby explained. Jack added in,

"We followed a shipment of materials that could be used in making a biological weapon to a house not far from here. We have word that one of the men has the capacity to weaponize the bacteria. We need to get in there fast, and be careful as to not spread anything, whether it's been weaponized or not – the house is located in a populated area. I think we all know what could be at stake here." Everyone took this as a cue, and started to grab their things to move out, Lucy sitting at her desk with her headset, getting ready to help from the bullpen, and typing furiously at her computer. Jack went over to Sue's desk as she grabbed her things.

"I'm sorry to have woken you up, especially after promising no more work tonight." Sue gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, terrorists don't tend to run on our schedules."

"You okay? You're a little pale." Sue nodded. She knew that she had to watch her limits, especially after being diagnosed with hypoglycemia. The lack of sleep was hard for her sometimes, especially after many sleepless nights in the last month and a half, but she knew as long as she made sure to eat something and get a good rest later, she would be fine.

"I'm okay. I'll either take a nap later or go to bed really early tonight. Don't worry – I ate something on the way here." Jack nodded and grabbed her hand as they made their way out of the bullpen quickly.

-----

"Okay – whatever you do, do not take off your masks. Lucy contacted Metro PD and they are making calls and visits, trying to get people from the area to quickly start evacuating quietly. Hopefully, most of the residents from around here should be gone by now, incase the worst should happen." The rest of agents and SWAT team pulled on their masks and started to move into position. Jack got Tara and Sue's attention before they started to move towards the surveillance van.

"If anything wrong happens, I want both of you to put your masks on right away." They both nodded, and Tara started to walk to where her and Sue would be staying. Sue turned and looked at Jack, before saying quietly,

"Be careful."

"I will." He kissed her and gave her a quick hug before heading over to the rest of the team. Sue made her way into the van, only across the street from the house they were planning on invading.

"Let's hope they find who and what we're looking for and get this case over with…these terrorists work way to early for my taste." Tara said trying to lighten the mood, as Sue nodded with a smile. Tara started talking into her microphone, Sue watching through the TV screens for any sign of activity from their terrorists.

"On my count…one…two…three."

Sue watched as the men carefully made their way into the large house. She could see Bobby's lips moving, yelling,

"FBI! Freeze!" Sue suddenly got very confused as the cameras filled with smoke and she could no longer see what was happening. She turned to look at Tara, who looked at her, trying to mask the worry on her face,

"The men are shooting." Sue took a deep breath. Why did she and Jack have to work in such a dangerous job? Every time this happened, she was scared of the news she might receive. If something did happen to Jack, she didn't know what she would do. Suddenly she felt very claustrophobic in the small van, feeling like she had to strain for each breath but she knew she couldn't say anything about it to Tara. She needed to focus and do her job. Jack would be all right. He knew what he was doing.

"Have they found the bacteria yet?" Tara shook her head no, continuing to watch the screen. She suddenly froze as she heard Myles's voice yelling.

"He's a suicider! Abort – everyone get out of here! NOW!" Tara looked at Sue frantically.

"There's a bomb!" She said, hardly knowing what to do until she heard Jack's frantic voice, as he was obviously running to get out of the house.

"Tara, Sue! Get on your masks and RUN!" Tara turned to Sue, who was looking completely confused before grabbing the two masks, and quickly saying,

"We've got to run!" Knowing that they needed to get out of that van immediately, the two women quickly hurried out of it and started to run as fast as they could, not yet having had a chance to put on their masks when Sue felt the heat of an explosion on her back as she and Tara were flown into the cement pavement.

It took Sue a few seconds to level herself again. She saw Tara lying unconscious on the ground, a gash bleeding from her head. Sue crawled over to her, feeling her pulse which was still strong, and coughing in the smoke and debris, noticing the two masks in Tara's grip.

"The bacteria." Sue whispered to herself, horrified, as she grabbed one of the masks and carefully put it to Tara's mouth, slowly making sure that she didn't upset her wound. She grabbed hers as she looked around in the fog, pulling it over her own head. She reached up and felt a deep cut near her hairline, the warm blood soaking onto her fingers.

"I need to find Jack." Sue thought to herself. As she tried to stand up, Sue felt the world start to spin and her eyes start to unfocus. Her eyes started to close slowly, as she rested her head on the cold pavement, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-----

_A/N – hehe! I told you it was going to have to get angsty sooner or later! _


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N – hehe, I love angst! _

**Chapter 8:**

"How do you feel now that it has been five weeks since your brother and his family's death?" Dr. Green said, looking kindly at Sue as she sat in the chair across from her, deep bruises and a large stitched cut still masking her face.

"It's been hard, getting over what happened." Sue started, dreading having to bring her emotions up to the surface again. The psychologist nodded for her to continue. "Sometimes I feel angry that God took them away. Especially the kids. They were so little and didn't even have a chance for life." Sue hesitated. She was torn between the desire to let her feelings go and really have a chance to move on from what happened and the knowledge that what she said to the psychologist could very well affect her career, no matter the confidentiality Dr. Green had promised.

"Have you ever felt guilty about what happened?" Sue nodded.

"Sometimes I wish it would have been me. Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm glad it wasn't, since there are still so many things I want to do with my life." Dr Green moved on,

"Do you think it was your fault?" Sue looked at her and shook her head.

"No, I couldn't stop what that man did. It was his choice." The doctor looked at her carefully. Sue felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.

"What made you decide not to tell your team about it?" Sue took a deep breath. This was the question she knew was coming.

"I had every intention of telling them when I first came back. I was going to let it sit a day or two until I felt I had the courage, when I found out that my team was working the case. It shocked and scared me to see the pictures, and know the information. I pulled myself off the case immediately, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle it." Sue tried to explain.

"But you didn't tell anyone?"

"I know my friends and coworkers, and I knew that they would be able to catch them. They were making great progress and I needed to put my personal problems aside and let them do their work. If I would have told them, the case would have been pulled away, or they would have ended up compromising it. However, I did tell Jack a few days after I had pulled myself off. It was really what helped me make it through." Sue said, quietly, knowing that she would have never survived the ordeal had Jack not been at her side.

"And you and Mr. Hudson, Jack, are now seeing each other?" Sue nodded, as she watched the woman scribble more notes onto her pad of paper. Sue looked at her expectantly. Dr. Green smiled encouragingly. "It's good to see that you're in a healthy relationship. Perhaps Jack would like to come to one of our next sessions? If that's alright with you?" Sue nodded.

"Sure."

"Did what happen yesterday affect your emotional state at all, or bring up any memories of what happened to your brother?" Sue had been worried this question might come up, but she knew that she could be honest. She wanted to make it through this.

"I was scared, and it made me realize all over again that our job is dangerous. Life is so precious, and I won't deny that I've thought about a career change since what happened to Ben, Gracie and the kids, and after what happened yesterday..." Sue let the memories of the day before flood through her thoughts all over again, letting them take her back to one of the scariest moments in her life…

-----

Sue felt the haze clearing and the bright flashing lights blaze into her tired eyes. She felt a weird pressure on her arm, and a sharp pain in her forehead. As the scene before her became clearer, she sat up quickly from the gurney, noticing that she had been moved away from the house that was now barely within sight. A young man rushed to her side and got her to lie back down.

"It's okay miss. Take it easy." Sue quickly spoke up,

"I need to find Jack! Is everyone okay? Tara?"

"I don't know at the moment, but let me bandage up that head for you until we get you to the hospital to get stitches. Then you can worry about your friends. I'm sure they're fine." The paramedic explained.

"I'm okay." Sue said, moving to get up again, when the paramedic held her back. Sue suddenly saw Jack appear from behind a fire truck, near to where she was at the back on one of the many ambulances. The paramedic couldn't stop her as she rushed over into his arms, where he held her tight for a few moments, the tears streaming down her face, her breath caught tight in her chest.

"Are you okay?" He said anxiously, Sue looking at the black smolder and small cuts and bruises marked on his face. His hand was wrapped in gauze as well. She nodded, unable to find any words. She looked at his hand for a few seconds, before he quickly said,

"Just a small burn. I'll be fine." Sue nodded again and suddenly felt a little faint. Jack's face flooded with worry as he grabbed her, and the paramedic hurried over, both of them moving her back onto the gurney.

"Dizzy?" The paramedic asked.

"Yeah." She whispered. Jack looked at the man expectantly, waiting for some explanation.

"She might have a mild concussion and that cut needs stitches. Other than being quite sore for a few days, and maybe having a nice headache as well, she should be fine. The dizziness is just from the bang she got on her head. Her blood pressure was a bit low last time I checked, but I'll check it again." He smiled reassuringly, as he continued to move around, taking Sue's blood pressure and pulse.

"Is everyone else okay?" Sue asked quietly.

"One of the SWAT team members was hurt pretty bad. He was taken to the hospital about 20 minutes ago, but he'll make it. He's got some bad burns on his legs though. The rest of us are all cut and bruised, but we'll be fine. We took shelter behind a shed in the backyard just before the house blew up. Dimitrius got shot, but his Kevlar vest took it. He'll just have a nice welt." Sue nodded.

"Tara?"

"I don't know yet. Some of the bacteria was in the house, in weaponized form and must have spread in the explosion. We think the rest must still be at their laboratory. Although, now two of the terrorists are dead and one is in custody. Two are still missing though." He paused, "Did you guys get your masks on?" Jack looked at her concernedly. Sue tried to think, but everything seemed to be a blur…

"I don't know, I don't quite remember what happened…" the paramedic interrupted.

"She had a mask on when we found her." Jack sighed in relief, but tried to hide the look of worry in his eyes, a look Sue didn't miss.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"There were some people that didn't get out of their houses before we went in. They weren't hurt by the explosion, but there is a whole street that is being decontaminated, and some of the people may have been infected. They are going to be transported into isolation as soon as possible and only time will tell. From what I've heard, they are having a bit of trouble with the vaccine, but I've been assured they should have some for sure by next week." Sue looked horrified, as Jack squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her. The paramedic gently touched her shoulder.

"I asked one of the other guys about your friend. They say she'll be fine. She's got a concussion and is already at the hospital; they will probably keep her there tonight just to make sure she's okay. She had a mask on too. We should get you to the hospital and get you stitched up as well." Sue looked at Jack, as the paramedic nodded that it was okay for him to get in the back of the ambulance with Sue. Jack pulled out his phone to tell Bobby where he was, as the doors shut and the sirens started to blare down the sullen, early morning streets of Washington D.C.

-----

"… I won't deny that I've thought about a career change since what happened to Ben, Gracie and the kids, and after what happened yesterday but I don't want to live my life in a box, completely sheltered, but I know that it's going to take time to heal. I'm willing for that to happen." Sue said, half trying to convince the psychologist, half trying to convince herself.

"You're a very strong woman and I'm sure that with time, these wounds will heal. Should we continue on Thursday?" Sue nodded and shook her hand.

"Thank you." Sue said, as she made her way out of the office, and back down the hallways towards the bullpen where she knew her friends were waiting.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Jack was grateful that it had been his left hand that was hurt, and not his right so it didn't stop him from being able to function normally. Everyone was back at work, though Tara was on reduced hours, and still trying to mask a headache. Jack knew that it had been a close call, and that they should all be grateful to be alive. The SWAT team member that had been hurt was still in the hospital and would take some time to recover but he would be fine, minus a few burns on his legs.

But Jack was still worried about Sue as he turned to look at her, busy working at her computer, unaware of his gaze. He had never been so scared in his life when he had heard that both Sue and Tara had been hurt in the blast. Luckily, her injuries hadn't been too serious, and she had gotten the mask on to protect herself from the bacteria. The cut on her head looked red and sore, and Jack could tell she was still fighting a headache, but otherwise, she seemed to be doing better. At least to everyone else. Jack still wasn't convinced.

He thoughts drifted back as he and Bobby waited in the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear about Sue and Tara, and how they were doing…

-----

Jack felt like he couldn't sit still, but after minutes of pacing, and wondering what was taking so long, he took a seat next to Bobby, whose mind was a million miles away as well.

"They were the ones that weren't supposed to get hurt." Jack said quietly.

"Next time we're parking the surveillance van further…" Bobby stopped in mid sentence as one of the doctors made a beeline towards them.

"Are you here for Tara Williams?" Jack's heart sunk a little, though he was anxious to make sure Tara was all right as well. They both nodded.

"Miss Williams is going to be fine, though we want to keep her overnight for observation. She's going to have a nice goose egg on her head for a few days, and a bad headache. She has a mild concussion, and will need to take it easy for the next week or two." Bobby sighed in relief as the doctor continued, "You can go and see her if you would like, but I'm sure she will fall asleep soon. We had to wake her up to make sure she was okay, and she's quite tired now." Bobby turned to look at Jack, who nodded for him to go. Jack took the opportunity to talk to the doctor before he left,

"Do you know anything about Sue Thomas? She was brought in as well." The doctor shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry, but I'm sure someone will come and talk to you shortly." Jack went to sit back down as he watched Bobby and the doctor walk down the hall and disappear around a corner.

Jack wasn't too sure how much time had passed when he finally saw Sue slowly make her way out, followed closely with a nurse. Jack hurried over to where she was, and the nurse smiled at him.

"I offered a wheelchair but she insisted on walking." Sue turned to look at Jack and gave him a small smile before shrugging.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She nodded, as the nurse explained.

"We stitched that cut on her forehead, and the doctor gave her some ointment to make sure it doesn't get infected. She might have a headache for a few days, she did bang her head, but the doctor doesn't think she has a concussion. Miss Thomas did say she was feeling a little dizzy sometimes, and the doctor checked her, and believes it's from the bang on her head, plus taking into consideration her deafness. It should subside in the next few days. Just a few days of taking it easy, and she should be as good as new." Sue gave Jack a reassuring smile.

"Thank you for your help." She said to the nurse, who smiled and nodded before walking away.

"Come on, let's take you home." Jack said, grabbing her hand. Sue looked at him and frowned.

"Don't we have to go to work? It's only noon."

"We got the rest of the day off. Come on let's go…" Jack and Sue slowly made their way out of the hospital.

-----

Jack broke out of his thoughts as he saw Dimitrius heading over to his desk.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Any luck with finding the other two terrorists, along with the missing bacteria?" He turned to look at Bobby as well, who had made his way over.

"We've been trying to get in contact with my informant, Ahmed Raman. He hasn't gotten back to us since before the blast yesterday." Dimitrius frowned.

"Could he be involved?" Bobby took a second to answer,

"I guess it's possible, but I have trouble believing it. He's been my informant for years now, and I've never suspected him of anything like that. He's a small time crook." Sue joined in, looking at Dimitrius,

"Any word about the people at the hospital, if they're infected?" Jack knew that she was worried that these innocent people were going to get sick, especially since they were having trouble getting the antibiotics.

"Not yet, but from what I've heard, it can take anywhere from 3 days to 10 days for the symptoms to appear, and there's no real way of being sure they're infected before that. We're going to have to wait and see. So far, they've been good at being patient and waiting." Sue nodded.

"What do we do now?" Tara spoke up,

"I'm trying to track down some leads on warehouses that any of them might have purchased. They shipped the lab equipment to the house, and must have moved it to their laboratory since we didn't find anything of the sort in the debris. I'm still trying to figure out their real names. They might have been using fake names since the ID's we found didn't show up at all in any of our databases. I'll keep you posted." Tara headed back to her desk, as did Sue.

As Sue sat down at her computer, she saw a message pop up on her screen. It was from Jack:

_One more hour to go. Want to go out to dinner and take Levi out for a walk afterwards? _

She looked up and grinned, as she saw him trying to avoid her gaze and pretend to be non-chalent about it, hiding his own smile. She typed back,

_I'd love to :) It's beautiful outside – first snowfall of the year. It's really coming down. You know how much Levi loves the snow. You're on ;) Now get back to work and stop wasting precious FBI time._

Jack looked up from his desk as Sue grinned and winked at him before returning to her work.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N – The site has been giving me grief with uploading chapters! Sorry! I'm trying really hard to write as often as I can, but just to warn you, finals are coming up really fast and those are obviously going to take priority! I'm trying to move the story along faster too just so I don't leave you all in TOO much suspense… dun dun dun! _

**Chapter 10:**

Sue wished that she could take a break and close her eyes but Dimitrius's conversation with her from a few days previous still lingered in her mind. If they were still watching her, she couldn't let them see any signs of weakness. She needed to prove to them that she was a hard worker and valuable member to her team. Still, sometimes she wondered if it was all worth it. She would have given anything to just take a 20-minute nap.

Two more days had passed, and the team had barely any leads on the two missing terrorists and the rest of the bacteria. Sue closed the email she had been reading from Howie, telling her that he still had no leads but would let them know the minute he heard anything. She reached over and grabbed her coat, putting it on over her sweater before tapping at her computer screen again, trying to stifle back a yawn. She looked up as she felt Levi put his paw on her leg.

"You okay?" Tara asked as she was walking by, noticing Sue in her winter coat.

"Fine, I'm just really cold all of the sudden and can't seem to warm up." Sue replied, offering a reassuring smile, which Tara returned.

"I'll go turn up the heat." She said, as Sue signed thank you. She turned as she saw Jack and Bobby walk back into the bullpen.

"We have good news and bad news." Bobby announced as everyone listened in. "Good news is the doctors over at the hospital have figured that this strain of bacteria is not spread from person to person. They have moved our possible victims out of isolation, though they are still being watched."

"What's the bad news?" Myles asked, hesitantly. Jack responded,

"Bad news is, we're having trouble locating the antibiotics to fight the infection. And it gets worse. Out of our 12 people, two of them are starting to show symptoms. The rest seem okay, though we need to wait another week. Hopefully, it will stay at only two and we will get the bacteria soon." Dimitrius walked into the bullpen as well, a big smile on his face.

"More good news." He started, "Some men spotted a strange looking truck heading to an abandoned farmhouse about 2 hours from here. They said the men looked Middle Eastern and we're hiding something. They called the local police with descriptions. They match the two men we're looking for. Bobby, Sue, I want you two to head out right away." Jack and Bobby shot a glance at each other, which Dimitrius picked up.

"Jack, the director wants you to brief him on what's happening. You can go with Myles as soon as you're done and you're to meet up with SWAT in the town about a mile from the farmhouse." Dimitrius explained, almost sympathetically, which made Bobby grin, as D headed back to his office.

"Sorry mate. I guess you're going to be stuck on a two-hour drive with Myles, while I get to take the trip with your girlfriend." Jack just rolled his eyes, and gave Sue a smile, which she half-heartedly returned. He noticed that she was bundled in her coat, and while Bobby was grabbing his stuff, he went over to her desk.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concernedly.

"I was just cold before. No worries. Sorry you have to take the trip with Myles." Jack gave her a pouty lip.

"I'd rather be with you." Sue nodded.

"Me too. We'll meet you there?"

"I want Bobby driving. It's icy and I want you just to take it easy. You look tired." Sue nodded in agreement, knowing that she probably wasn't too safe driving anyways. He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips, as they said their goodbyes. As Sue was walking out the door, Bobby touched Jack on the shoulder.

"Don't worry mate – I'll take good care of her. See you in a few hours."

"Have a safe trip." He replied, as he went back to his desk to prepare his briefing of the director, and Bobby and Sue headed towards the elevator, Levi close behind.

-----

As the doors shut and the elevator moved down, Bobby noticed that Sue seemed distracted, leaning against the elevator wall. He touched her arm and she turned to look at him.

"Is everything alright Sheila?" She nodded, though it didn't convince him.

"Fine. I just have a bit of a headache." Bobby wondered if it was more than just that, but didn't want to push her. He knew Jack was worried that she was working to hard, trying to prove herself again, and that she might just pretend she's okay, so that no one would suspect her of any weakness. He knew it still had to be tough getting over her brother and his family's death. Bobby hadn't heard her talk about it at all lately, though he knew that she was seeing the FBI psychologist. He had an idea,

"Well, since I'm driving, and we have a long drive ahead, why don't you take a little snooze on the way, so that headache goes away quicker? It will be our little secret." Sue looked like she was contemplating what to answer him as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the parkade. The throbbing pain in her headache took over, and she trusted Bobby.

"Promise you won't tell anyone? Even Jack?" He winked at her.

"Our little secret – scouts honor." She gave him a small smile.

"Thanks." Sue said as she climbed into the passenger seat of Bobby's car and closed her eyes, thankfully for a time to rest her eyes and hopefully get rid of her headache. As Bobby merged onto the highway, not 10 minutes later, he turned over to see Sue, fast asleep. He smiled at her innocent face, realizing what a lucky guy Jack was, as he continued down the snowy roads towards their destination.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N – Thanks for the reviews everyone! It means the world to me! Sorry but this chapter might be shorter than normal. I'm really tired but still wanted to get a chapter posted!_

**Chapter 11:**

Jack kept his eyes on the road, hitting the gas pedal a little harder than he normally would. Myles looked over and noticed his speed.

"You know Jack," he said, "we're not in that much of a rush." Jack realized what he was doing and slowed down a bit, though still a little over the speed limit.

"Sorry." Myles just shook his head.

"Trying to catch up to Bobby and the girlfriend I see." Jack just rolled his eyes. "So, since we still at least an hour until we get there, why don't you tell me how you and Sue finally admitted you guys liked each other. You know you're timing landed me a dinner from the rest of the team." Jack gave him a quick glance, frowning.

"You were betting on us?" He said incredulously. He knew that Lucy, and sometimes Tara had been trying for years to get them together, but Myles?

"Well, we knew it would only be a matter of time, especially after the whole New York thing."

"We'll I'm glad to hear my personal life is feeding you, at mine and Sue's expense." Jack responded, though smiling. It was nice to know that their team was supportive of them, but Jack decided to change the subject. "So, do you think we'll finally catch these guys?" Myles sighed.

"Would be nice, but it's never this simple. It's only been a few days. If only terrorists were that easy to catch."

"Aren't we optimistic." Jack said, but was interrupted as he felt his cell phone ringing. He quickly answered it, to hear Bobby's frantic voice on the other end.

-----

Bobby kept humming along with the radio as he made his way down the road. They were off the main highway now, on a smaller road with a lot less traffic. He knew they were still at least 45 minutes out of where they were supposed to wait and meet up with Jack, Myles and SWAT. He turned and saw that Sue was still sleeping, but starting to stir slightly. He smiled as she bolted upright in the seat.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked, as she leaned back against the chair again.

"No worries Sheila, we're only about half way there. Seems like you really needed that rest." Sue nodded, but Bobby could tell something wasn't right. He kept glancing at her, still trying to keep one eye on the road. He got her attention. "Is everything alright Sue?" She didn't answer for a few seconds, and Bobby started to get worried, as she leaned against the seat.

"My head really hurts, and my stomach does too." Bobby wasn't too sure what to do. There was no real room to pull over, only ditches on both sides of the road. He started to slow down when he felt his car start to slide on the ice underneath, losing control as they headed towards the ditch. He instinctively threw his hand over, to keep Sue from hitting the dash, as rolled into the ditch, landing in a foot of snow. Bobby took a deep breath, immediately looking at Sue.

"Are you hurt?" She shook her head.

"Not from the accident. Bobby," she said frantically, "I think something's wrong." Bobby tried to rack his brain.

"Headache and stomach pains?" She nodded. "Have you had your appendix out?" It was the first thing he could think of, but when she nodded, he knew it wasn't that. He looked around and realized that there was no way they would be able to get out of the ditch. There was snow all around, and they had to be stuck. He turned as he noticed Sue's teeth starting to chatter.

"I'm so cold." She said quietly, trying to wrap her coat even tighter around her. Bobby reached to his back seat and pulled out his emergency blanket, covering her up. He rested his hand on her forehead, surprised at the heat.

"Sue – you're burning up." But Bobby was pretty sure she hadn't read what he had said. Her eyes were opening and closing, and he could tell she was breathing shallowly. He wished he knew more about medicine, wondering if maybe it was some sort of infection, or flu, or anything. He didn't know what to think, but he knew what he needed to do.

"It's okay Sheila." He said, trying to comfort her, "Everything's going to be alright." Bobby tried to convince himself as he pulled out his cell phone and called Jack's number

"Jack – it's Bobby." He said quickly, as he heard his best friend pick up.

"Hey! We're just pulling off the highway. Should be there in about an hour. We're probably only about 20 minutes behind you…" Bobby interrupted him.

"Jack – something's wrong..."

"What do you mean?" Bobby heard Jack's worried voice replied back quickly.

"We slid off the road into the ditch. It was icy and now we're stuck. Neither of us were hurt but something's wrong with Sue." Jack felt his heart drop, and noticed Myles's gaze, watching him carefully, trying to pick up on what was going on.

"What do you mean?" Jack said anxiously.

"She's burning up. She says her head and stomach really hurt. We need to get her to a hospital." Jack looked at Myles for a second, who was awaiting some information.

"Sue's sick and they drove into a ditch. We need to get there – now." Myles grabbed the phone from Jack, allowing him to drive with his attention on the road, though it was drifting to Sue and whatever was wrong with her. Myles was talking to Bobby trying to figure out where they were. Jack sped down the country lane, until 15 minutes later when he spotted Bobby's car off the road, in a foot of snow, praying that she was okay. They had been through enough – how much more did they have to take?


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N – Oh I miss having spare time… this writing parts of these chapters at midnight is certain getting hard, but worth it. It's probably why the story is not going where I had originally planned, but it's all good! Sorry for the delay in posting as well – I've been so busy and had a bit of writer's block as well and finals are looming ahead! Thanks for the reviews so much! _

**Chapter 12:**

Jack slowed down as he saw the vehicle ahead, knowing that it was icy. He thought about calling an ambulance, but out in the middle of nowhere, he realized that it would be quicker if they just drove. Myles looked just as tense as he felt, though the last 15 minutes neither one of them had spoken. Inside, Jack was praying that this was all just a big mistake and Sue was just fine.

-----

Bobby could see Jack's car coming down the road, as fast as it could on the ice. He knew that they needed to move fast. He looked over at Sue who was shaking, pulling the blanket as close to her body as possible. Her knees were by her chest, her eyes closed. He could tell she was in pain. He opened his door, and let Levi out, who started jumping around in the snow gleefully. Bobby went over to the other side of his car and opened the door, pulling Sue out into his arms, not wanting her to have to stand, or be in the snow. He closed the door with his foot, and slowly made his way around the car, as he watched Jack and Myles slow to a stop.

Jack almost jumped out of the car and slid down the small hill towards Bobby, his heart beating fast as he saw her shivering in his arms.

"Let's get her in the car – quickly." Jack said, following Bobby. Myles had been getting the backseat cleared of the SUV. Bobby laid her down, as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Jack?" She whispered, her voice hollow and distant.

"I'm right here Sue. It's going to be okay." She didn't respond again, as Jack looked desperately at his two friends. Myles spoke up,

"We need to get her to a hospital. I think our best bet is to head back towards Washington. There are no hospitals where we were heading. Hick town." Jack rested his hand on her forehead.

"She's burning up." He whispered, as he climbed into the backseat next to her. Bobby and Myles jumped into the front, speeding off in the opposite direction, towards Washington.

Jack cuddled Sue close, trying to stop her shivering, squeezing her hand. Her eyes opened again, looking at him hazily.

"Jack – something's wrong. Something's wrong." She said over and over again. Jack bit his lip and could barely find the words to calm her fears.

"Shh. It's going to be okay. I'm right here." He felt her squeeze his hand, as if asking him not to leave her. "Stay with me alright? We'll be at the hospital soon." She nodded, though barely moving her head.

"It hurts Jack." Jack knew he needed to keep her conscious, and keep her talking.

"What hurts?"

"Everything…my stomach…sharp pains…." Sue said slowly, her eyes growing hazy and starting to close

"You have to stay awake for me okay?" Jack said, when her eyes opened again.

"I can't read…what you're saying…too hard…" She said in gasps of breath. Jack just squeezed her hand, growing more and more worried as each second past.

-----

The SUV pulled up towards the hospital emergency doors, just outside of Washington not 20 minutes later. Myles had put on the sirens the moment they had hit the highway and sped down the road as quickly as he could. Bobby and Myles both scrambled out of the front, Myles rushing into the emergency room to get a doctor, Bobby to help Jack get Sue out of the SUV.

As Jack held her in his arms, he felt her head lean against his shoulder, her body trembling. Two men came out with a stretcher, meeting them halfway, as they help Jack lay her carefully. One of them looked at the distraught look on Jack's face.

"The doctor will be out as soon as they know what's wrong with your wife." Jack's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't bother to correct the man. "You can wait in the waiting room until then." Jack tried to say something but couldn't. Instead he nodded when Bobby said,

"Thank you." They watched the two men bring her in quickly, losing sight of them as they turned the corner. They met up with Myles in the waiting room, sitting down and posing for a long wait. A thousand thoughts ran through Jack's mind as he sat wondering what on earth had gone wrong.

-----

Sue could feel herself drifting in and out of consciousness. The last thing she could remember was leaning against Jack in the van, and the pains in her stomach, which had grown considerably worse. Now there were all these bright lights, and lips quickly moving as she felt unfamiliar hands touching her. She tried to see what they were saying but couldn't find the energy to read the blurred lips. Suddenly, it felt like her chest was going to rip apart, as she started to cough violently. A thought flitted across her mind as she felt herself start to fall into the darkness. She resisted as best as she could, knowing she had to tell Jack. She tried to talk, but her mouth was dry.

"Bacteria." She mouthed, but she could see no one was paying attention to her. She tried to sit up, trying to call out Jack's name as another fit of coughs erupted, and stronger hands pushed her back down onto the bed. The lights became brighter, then dimmer and nothing made sense anymore. She slowly started to close her eyes and let the darkness take her.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N – Two finals down, 5 more to go… I'll do the best I can to post as much as possible, but the chapters might be a bit shorter than usual (I never post under 1000 words – I might reduce that to 800 or so…) Thank you for all the reviews, et merci tous mes amis français qui donnent tes opinions aussi! Peut être une journée je vais essayer de faire une histoire en français aussi… A bientôt! _

**Chapter 13:**

Jack hated the waiting. He just wanted to know what was going on. After about an hour had passed, Myles had decided to go back to the bullpen and tell their friends in person what had happened, as well as get another team to where they had been heading. Bobby had decided to stay with Jack, to not just find out how his friend was, but to be there to support Jack, in case the news they received was bad.

The time passed as people fluttered in and out, some more anxious than others, some sitting contently, patiently. Others like Jack, looking around desperately for some sign of information. Finally, a doctor walked in and asked for the family of Sue Thomas. Jack and Bobby both shot up from their chairs, and made to follow the doctor. He stopped outside a small room with the door shut.

"My name is Dr. Kirkland. Miss. Thomas is currently resting."

"Do you know what's wrong?" Jack quickly asked.

"We can't be certain at this point. We're still running tests but from first observation, I would say it's a serious case of pneumonia." The doctor explained.

"Pneumonia? So suddenly?" Bobby questioned.

"All of her symptoms are consistent and there are many ways to catch it. She still has a very high fever, which we are trying to get down. We gave her something to help with the pain and also let her get some sleep. Again, we'll know more once the test results are back. Until then, I am admitting her for the time being, until we see some improvement."

"She was complaining that her stomach hurt." Jack informed the doctor quickly, as he nodded.

"It could be a symptom of Pneumonia – she had been coughing violently when she first came in. But again, we are running tests in case it's something else."

"Can we see her?" Jack asked. The doctor nodded.

"But please let her get her rest. I'll be in to check on her shortly." Bobby thanked the doctor, as Jack made his way through the door.

Sue was laying there, her pale face illuminated by the dim hospital lights. Jack immediately rushed to her side, pulling up a chair and gently grabbing her hand.

"She looks so pale." Jack said quietly.

"She'll be okay mate. She's strong." Bobby couldn't help but feel like he was intruding, as Jack sat their, watching Sue as if it was only the two of them in the world. "I think I should go to the bullpen and tell everyone how she's doing – give you two some privacy. You'll call if anything changes? I'm sure Lucy will be by soon." Jack nodded in appreciation and said goodbye to his best friend as he walked out, leaving them alone.

-----

Myles walked slowly into the bullpen, as everyone sat quietly working. He had decided to drop Levi off with Charlie, and tell both him and Troy what was happening. The sad dog looked at him and Myles knew that this dog understood that Sue wasn't in good condition. Myles knew that he needed to let the team know as soon as possible, as he hurried back to the Hoover Building. Tara was the first to notice his presence,

"Myles? Aren't you supposed to be with Jack, Sue and Bobby?" Lucy and Dimitrius both came over, confused.

"Something's wrong with Sue. She's at the hospital. We had to turn back around." Myles explained quietly.

"What?" Lucy said, in shock.

"I already called in. They're sending someone else out. Bobby called us – we were about 15 minutes behind them. They had slid off the road into the ditch. Neither of them was hurt, but apparently even before that Sue had been saying that her stomach really hurt. When we got there she was burning up. We turned around and headed straight back for Washington. Bobby and Jack are still there." They all turned around as they saw Bobby walk in.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked quickly, her eyes panicked.

"Jack's with her now – she's sleeping. I thought I should give them some privacy." Dimitrius spoke up,

"What did the doctor say?" Bobby answered,

"He thinks it's a serious case of pneumonia. He's running a lot more tests to confirm. Until he sees any improvement, we don't know when she'll be released."

-----

Jack leaned back in the chair. He couldn't seem to place his eyes anywhere else. Any second he looked away could be the second she opened her eyes, or moved her head. The nurse had come in about 20 minutes previous and assured him that her vitals were stable, but her fever was still high. Jack still wasn't too sure what to think.

Suddenly, he saw her head move slightly, and her mouth start to open. He grasped her hand, trying to assure her that she wasn't alone. Her eyes fluttered open, though she looked at him strangely, with exhausted eyes.

"Jack?"

"It's okay. I'm right here honey."

"Where's Judy. I need to find Judy." Jack looked at her strangely. Her friend Judy had died when Sue was a young girl. He rubbed her hand trying to calm her.

"Sue, Judy's not here. It's okay…" She shook her head, trying to sit up.

"I was supposed to be on the bus. I need to find Judy…" She started to cough violently, grasping her stomach in pain as Jack started to panic. He quickly pressed the nurses button. A nurse and Dr. Kirkland rushed into the room, as Jack stood back, watching her helplessly as the doctor tried to figure out what was wrong.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N – Hey! I know it's been awhile. Two more finals down, three more to go! I pulled an almost all nighter last night, so I can't believe I'm sitting here writing, especially when I have so much other work to do, but I could use the break! I've hit a bit of a writers block on this one. I'm not too sure of where I want to go with this anymore… Any ideas? Comments? Please feel free to give me your opinion! Anyways, for now here goes the next chapter. It might be short, but at least it's something!

**Chapter 14:**

Jack could feel himself nodded off again in the uncomfortable hospital chair. The doctor had given Sue a sedative to try and give her a full nights rest to help her body recuperate. Occasionally, she'd burst into a fit of coughs, though never awaking from her slumber. Dr. Kirkland had made a halfhearted attempt to get Jack to go home and rest, and come back in the morning but he knew it was no good. He had seen thousands of patients go in and out of his hospital room, and when it came to someone they loved, he was never able to get the person to go home. Especially not the first night.

Suddenly Jack felt someone's hand rest on his shoulder as he jerked his head up, his eyes wide open. He saw Lucy and Bobby staring back at him with concern.

"Sorry." He mumbled, as Lucy and Bobby both pulled up chairs next to Sue's bed.

"How is she?" Lucy asked quietly, looking intently at her best friend, lying limply on the hospital bed.

"Doc gave her a sedative. She's coughing a lot. She woke up at one point and kept asking for Judy…" Lucy frowned at him.

"Judy as in her skating friend?" Jack nodded.

"What did the doctor think about that?" Bobby asked.

"He said that with the high fever, sometimes that sort of thing could happen. Her fever is still high – they can't seem to break it." Silence followed as the three of them watched Sue, almost expecting some movement from her lifeless body. After a few minutes, Lucy rested her hand on Jack's.

"You should go home. Get some sleep. I'll stay with her for a bit." Bobby added in,

"Me too. Go home mate." Jack shook his head and started to argue.

"I'm fine. I can sleep fine on these chairs – I've done it before…" but he stopped when he saw the look Lucy was giving him.

"Exactly. And if I recall correctly, it wasn't even that long ago. I never got to take any shifts last time. Get some rest – you're no good to her dead on your feet." Jack contemplated for a few seconds.

"I'll only be a few hours. And you have to promise to call if she wakes up."

"Promise." Lucy signed. She looked at Sue sadly. They didn't even need to keep their voices down, or sign for her. Lucy wanted her best friend back and she was tired of all these things happening to her.

Jack left slowly, after having given Sue a kiss on the cheek. Bobby looked at Lucy, whose eyes started to tear up.

"Shh. Luce it's okay." Bobby said as he pulled her into a hug, knowing that while Jack had been around she had wanted to put on a strong front for his sake.

"Why are all these things happening?" She said quietly.

"I don't know, I don't know." Bobby said, as he let Lucy rest her head on his shoulder, knowing that it was going to be a long night.

-----

"We can still do this!" He said.

"It's too risky. They might catch on to us. We barely got past last time, and we lost 3 of our guys. Its too hard with only two." The other man pushed him up against the wall.

"We are doing this. Whether I have to do this alone and eliminate you…"

"You wouldn't…" He said, staring at the man whose eyes were filled with insanity and anger.

"Don't make me." The man said, releasing him from the wall, walking away.

-----

Jack didn't want to admit it but he did feel better after a good 3 hours sleep. There were nightmares at first, but the exhaustion took over him, as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He quickly showered and headed over to the hospital. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, as he saw Lucy curled up in the chair, eyes shut.

It was his turn to put his hand on her shoulder and tell her to go home and get some rest. She persisted at first as well. Sue hadn't woken up at all, and Lucy wanted to be there when she did. Jack assured her, like she had the night before, that he would call as soon as they knew anything. Lucy agreed that she needed the rest, as she rubbed her sore neck.

Jack poised himself for a long wait, wondering how long it would take the sedative to wear off. A few hours past, as he flipped through a few magazines, and looked at all the things on the wall. He turned as he heard her cough again, this time her eyes fluttering open. Jack pulled his chair closer and rested his hand on her cheek. She was still so hot. Her eyes opened and stared at him hazily for a few moments. Jack could feel his chest constricting, wondering what she was going to say – if she recognized him, if she was having a spell again.

"Sue – I'm right here." He said gently, trying to reassure her.

"Jack?" He nodded. "Jack…"

"It's okay Sue. It's okay honey." She shook her head and started coughing again. Once she had calmed down again, she closed her eyes. Jack knew she was in pain and it broke his heart. When she opened them again, he asked,

"Do you want me to get the doctor? Where does it hurt?" Sue shook her head again.

"Jack…it think…" She took a deep breath again. She was obviously having troubles breathing. "I think… it was… the bacteria..."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N – Well, here I go again. I really hope this is going okay – please let me know what you think – and honestly, because I'm having a rough time piecing this one together. I've got some ideas for another story for after this one, but I never like to quit a story… We shall persevere and finish this (not that the ending is anywhere near in sight…)!

By the way, I'm not too happy with my choice of biological agent. If you do some research on the Tularemia bacteria, it does cause some serious symptoms but the antibiotic isn't hard to find, and it works relatively well. But just follow my story, because I'm kind of manipulating the actualities to give the terrorists a bit of an advantage to keep my story…tense!

**Chapter 15:**

Jack looked at her for a few seconds, absorbing what she had just said.

"Sue? What do you mean you think it was the bacteria?" He asked, his heart pounding. She had had the mask on but she didn't remember when it had been put on. What would he do if she were infected?

"Bacteria…Jack…I remember little…pieces." She said in between breaths. Jack squeezed her hand, encouraging her to take her time as anxious as he was to know what was going on.

"What do you remember?" He asked, worriedly. Things were starting to make more and more sense. The symptoms she had. They were all consistent.

"I woke up… Tara was unconscious." She closed her eyes for a second, resting them, before they opened again. He noticed the fear reflected in her eyes, the same that was in his. "Put on her mask quickly… Then I put on mine… Rest is a blur." She looked at him as her eyes started to water. He knew she was scared.

"It's okay. It's going to be alright." She nodded slightly, but Jack knew she wasn't convinced, because neither was he.

"I need to go get a doctor. He needs to know about this." Jack made to get up, but Sue held on tightly to his hand.

"Tara?" She said. Was Tara showing any symptoms? She may have been exposed but Sue did get her mask on first. It might have been what saved her from contracting the bacteria.

"I'll call and make sure she's okay, and have her brought in for examination. I'll be right back okay? Rest your eyes. It's going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you." She nodded and obligingly rested her tired eyes. Jack stole one last glance at her before hurrying to the nurse's station. He knew that every second was going to count.

-----

"No word yet from your informant?" Dimitrius asked Bobby. It was early morning and Bobby knew that there was no point going home to sleep. Between Sue being in the hospital again, and the hunt for terrorists who had biological weapons, one of which might be someone he trusted, Bobby couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Nothing. I hope to think it wasn't him, but even I have to admit his absence is suspicious."

"We'll keep looking." Dimitrius said, trying to be encouraging. "How's Sue?"

"She was asleep the whole time I was there. They sedated her. No word yet on what it is, but they think it's a really serious case of pneumonia. I'm guessing Jack's there already." Bobby explained. Dimitrius caught the guilty look in his eyes.

"Bobby – you know none of this is your fault… Ahmed Raman has been your informant for years. I know you trusted him – but you couldn't have known if he was involved. And as for Sue, you took care of her."

"We slid off the ditch – what if that…made things worse?" Dimitrius shook his head.

"Thing's haven't been right for days. Sliding off a ditch wouldn't make pneumonia worse. You made sure that she was alright." Tara walked up to where the two men were standing.

"I have good news and bad news." She said.

"Sue?" Bobby said, worriedly. She shook her head.

"Haven't heard yet from Jack or Lucy. The agents from the Virginia office arrived at the farmhouse. It was empty. They must have left already – but the good news is they picked up a lot of trace evidence, and there are some witnesses who got a good look at the two men. The PD out there is putting out posters with their descriptions. If they're seen, we'll be the first to know." Tara informed them.

"Good. Thanks Tara." Dimitrius said. "Any word yet on the antibiotics for the bacteria yet?"

"They should be here in the next couple of days. However, the pharmacist I've talked to about it says that the further the bacteria progresses, the less response there is to the bacteria. Thankfully we only have 2 cases as of now, and they seem to have had strong enough immune systems that they are still in the early stages."

"Well that's something to be thankful for." Myles piped in. They all turned as they saw Lucy walk in, looking very tired.

"Lucy? Are you okay?" She nodded.

"Just tired."

"How's Sue?" Myles quickly asked, as they crowded around her desk. Lucy sighed.

"Still no improvement. Jack made me go home for a few hours, but I couldn't really sleep so I decided to come in for a few hours…" She was interrupted as Bobby's phone rang. The rest of the team kept talking to Lucy, as Bobby went over to his desk and answered.

"Manning." He heard Jack's frantic voice on the other end.

"Bobby – it's Jack." Bobby's heart started pounding to hear Jack so upset.

"Jack? Is everything okay? Is Sue okay?" The rest of the team must have heard him, because they rushed over, their faces pale. Bobby didn't know what to think – had she taken a turn for the worse? Something had obviously gotten Jack this distressed.

"We figured out what caused this." He said quietly. "It was the bacteria. She caught it. The doctors are moving her to another room under constant supervision."

"Is she going to be okay? The antibiotic is coming – they said only a few more days." Jack took a deep breath.

"Dr. Kirkland said it must have progressed pretty far. We don't even know if the antibiotic will help at this point – we're going to have to wait and see." Bobby could hear the torture in Jack's voice. "There's more." Bobby wasn't sure how much more they could take, especially as he looked at the concerned faces watching him intently.

"What do you mean?" He said quietly.

"You've got to get Tara here to get checked out immediately. She might have it as well. Sue remember what had happened after the house had blown up. Sue woke up and Tara was unconscious. She put Tara's mask on for her before she got hers on. If Sue contracted it, there's a chance Tara might have as well." Bobby turned to look at Tara, who was looking at him confused and worried.

"We'll be right there." He said as he hung up the phone.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N – I am so, so sorry! It's not like me at all to leave a story this long! I totally SUCK! Things were so hectic with my moving back home, and starting to work full time – I have a lot less free time to write than I imagined I would. Still, I'm going to try my utmost to get more chapters posted as soon as possible. It doesn't help that the weather is so beautiful either! Here we go, and as always please review and thank you for your patience! This chapter is dedicated to my 20th birthday this Friday! Yay!

**Chapter 16:**

Bobby hung up the phone and didn't say anything, as everyone stared at him, anxiously awaiting news.

"What is it?" Myles finally said.

"They figured out what's making Sue so sick…" He paused. "She caught the bacteria." Silence rang out in the bullpen.

"What? How?" Dimitrius asked, half in shock. Bobby tried to explain,

"Jack said Sue woke up and remembered what had happened after the explosion. She didn't get her mask on right away." He turned to look at Tara, as her eyes started to comprehend what he was saying.

"But Tara…" Lucy started to say, as they all looked at her.

"We need to get you to the hospital right away. Have you had any symptoms?" Bobby asked, overcome with worry. Tara was silent, obviously still trying to absorb everything. She shook her head.

"Not that I know of." She responded quietly, looking at Bobby for some explanation in his eyes, some confirmation that this really wasn't happening.

"We have to get you checked out anyways…"

"What does this mean for Sue?" Lucy asked softly, worried about what the answer was going to be, if any.

"I don't know," Bobby replied. "They moved her to another room and the doctor is going to do what he can to treat her, but he's not sure how much he can do at this point." He turned to look at Tara again who was looking off into the distance, lost in her own thoughts.

"You should go." Dimitrius said, looking between Bobby and Tara. She didn't say anything as she went to grab her things.

-----

Dimitrius sighed as he sat down at his desk. The whole pressure of everything happening to his team, and now with him being the supervisor, he felt like he needed to take more of a position as a leader, but he didn't know how. He didn't understand why things kept happening to his team. They were falling apart at the seams; they couldn't function, catching the criminals like the used too, laughing after a good, hard days work. He didn't blame them, he just hoped that things would go back to the way they used to be. D reached over as he phone started to ring, and picked up.

"Dimitrius Gans." He answered. Five minutes later he hung up and leaned back in his chair. One dead body found at the farmhouse – no one else. And now he had to break the news to Bobby, and the team, once he returned. It was his informant – Ahmed Raman. The question now was whether or not he had been involved.

Bobby had known him for years. Ahmed had always passed little pieces of information from the streets, mostly pertaining to drug deals, wanted criminals. This had been his first piece of information concerning terrorism. Maybe that should have been a clue, though there had never been any doubt of his loyalties. The case still needed to proceed, and though Dimitrius was worried about his friends, he needed to take leadership as their supervisor. He grabbed his phone to call for some backup to help with the case. For now he would have to rely on Myles first and foremost, and hopefully Lucy, Bobby and Tara, if Tara wasn't sick as well. These terrorists had caused these problems, caused their friend and team member to be deathly ill, and had possibly infected another and Dimitrius was going to catch them if it was the last thing he did.

---

Sue had drifted off to sleep again, out of dire necessity. The coughing and difficulty breathing was exhausting her, draining the life out of her limp and feverish body. Instead, Jack sat next to her deep in thought about what was going to happen. His mind naturally told him that everything was going to be all right. So many things had happened to them. It wasn't the first time their lives had been in danger, and if they both continued at their present job, it wasn't going to be the last.

Then the small voice in his head reminded him that not everything worked out. This wasn't a TV drama or movie where the good guys always won, where the person who was sick always got better. They weren't the characters in a happily-ever-after story that guaranteed that they would live long, happy lives. This was reality. He had every chance of losing her, and that thought scared him. He looked up as he saw Bobby enter the room quietly.

"How is she?" He asked, as he took a seat next to his best friend. Jack shrugged.

"Asleep again. Is Tara alright?" Bobby sighed.

"She's in with the doctor right now – they're running a whole bunch of tests. She's pretending that she's not worried but I know she is…" Jack interrupted him.

"Bobby – I'm sure she'll be fine. She hasn't shown any symptoms yet."

"But how fair is it Jack? That Sue is so sick? If Tara's all right, how can I be glad knowing that Sue got sick because she got Tara's mask on first? How is Tara going to handle knowing that?" Bobby stopped and silently processed his thoughts.

"If Tara's fine, which I'm sure she is, we need to take comfort in that. It would be worse if they were both sick, and I know that Sue wouldn't ever blame Tara for it. It would be one good piece of news in the middle of this nightmare." They both sat in silence, each with their own thoughts when a doctor peeked his head in the door and nodded towards Bobby. He shot up out of his chair, looking at Jack hopefully, who tried to give him a reassuring smile.

Jack watched the door slowly close, and then turned to look at Sue, whose eyes had started to open. They stared at each other for a few moments, as Jack's mind raced over thoughts that filled him with fear. She was so pale. Things weren't fine. She might not get better. She might close those eyes and never open them again. She might never walk out of this hospital, or leave it alive. He wanted to push them away, but they were like a plague, a cancer of his thoughts that invaded his mind, destroying the hope that he still tried to cling to.

"Is everything going to be okay?" Sue whispered, as her eyes searched his. He mustered up the most reassuring smile he could, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead, before squeezing her hand and whispering back,

"Everything is going to be fine."


	17. Note from the Author!

Note from the Author!

Hello everyone! Long time no post! I am so sorry for having just left so abruptly in June, not posting anymore, and barely replying. My life has changed completely with taking school online now, and with a few new medical things coming up, time just seemed to slip through my hands….

I am making every effort to put some sanity time back into writing – I miss it so much, and definitely need the break from the rest of my hectic schedule. This is the part where I need your advice (even if you're new and don't really know me!)

Should I continue with Within Part 2? Or start fresh with a new Sue Thomas story? I've re read the whole thing, and I have some ideas where it might go, but nothing definitive at this point. I only want to continue if there is some people out there who are interested to see the story come to its conclusion – if you think I should start fresh, I harbor absolutely no hard feelings – it's hard to pick up, after so many months of not being involved with the story.

Please review and let me know – I'll start working on something in the next week and hopefully have something posted soon!

I can't wait to hear from you all again and engross myself in our wonderful little fan fiction community! I've missed you all so much!

Let me know, and it's great to be back!

Michelle a.k.a missbrat155


	18. Chapter 17

_A/N – Well, after further consideration, I have decided to continue with this story. I'm pretty excited to get rolling again! Thank you all so much for your support, even after I kind of ditched out on all of you for a few months. Another little tid bit of good news – I've got tons of ideas roaming in my head for a new story. I'm trying to piece things together and come up with a plan, so don't be surprised if a new story pops up in the near future! Hope you all enjoy…_

_You might want to glance over the previous couple of chapters, in case you don't remember what happened. I'll give a "quick" summary: _

_In Within Part 1, Sue found out her brother and his family had been murdered by a serial killer. She's since had to deal with that, but luckily has also formed a personal relationship with Jack. After going home to grieve with her family for 3 weeks, Sue comes back to DC at the beginning of Within Part 2, ready to get back to work, to see where her relationship with Jack is going to go, and to finally move on with her life. She finds out that the head honchos at the FBI are questioning her abilities after having hidden the fact that her brother's family had been victims in their last case. Jack's now worried that Sue is going to want to prove herself to them, and in turn, end up jeopardizing herself. _

_A new case is brought to the team, through an informant of Bobby's – Ahmed Raman. According to Raman and the NSA, five terrorists were bringing biological weapons to DC. The word was the Tularemia bacteria, a bacterium which can cause severe pneumonia, and possibly death if not treated, but only if enough is inhaled. Upon finding the location of the terrorists, the FBI team quickly finds out that it is a trap, and the house explodes, injuring many of the FBI agents, including Sue and Tara, and dispersing particles of their biological weapon into the air. Luckily, they had evacuated most of the people in the community; however, some of them were quarantined, everyone hoping that the infection would not progress. Sue, having sustained a head injury from the blast, did not recall what had happened as her and Tara ran from the van, until later when she remembers that she woke up on the pavement, and quickly put Tara's mask on, and then hers before passing out again. We also hear a short conversation between two unknown people, one who is reluctant to continue with their plans, the other threatening to do it alone if necessary._

_Upon learning of the possible location of the terrorists again, Bobby and Sue head out to the rural farmhouse a few hours away, Jack and Myles following behind them. Sue had already started to present strange symptoms, and had fallen asleep in the car from exhaustion. As she woke up as they were driving, she realized that something was very wrong. Bobby's car slid off the road, into the ditch, as he realized that she was burning up, and holding her stomach in pain. Jack and Myles quickly arrived, and they headed back to DC to the nearest hospital, where Sue finally realized that she must have contracted the bacteria; they also realized that Tara could now be at risk too. Two of the twelve residents had also begun to show symptoms, and the antibiotics were having troubles getting to DC. _

_We left them, as the team had just found out that Ahmed Raman, Bobby's informant, was found dead in the farmhouse. The team has no idea whether he was involved, who is still out there, and what is yet to come… So here we go! _

**Chapter 17:**

"Is she alright?" Dimitrius asked quickly, as Bobby walked into the bullpen, without Tara. Bobby sat down at his desk, rubbing his temples.

"They want to keep her overnight, to keep running tests, but from what the doctors say, so far, it looks like she was lucky. Sue must have gotten Tara's mask on just in time." He replied quietly.

"Any word on the antibiotics yet, for Sue and the two others?" Myles asked.

"Actually, it's some of the only good news we've gotten recently. If all goes well, it should be here by tomorrow and none too soon. I've talked to Jack, and it sounds like Sue still isn't doing very well…" Lucy informed them, her voice hitching at the end with emotion.

Dimitrius watched as his team as they settled back into work, but again, he noticed how it wasn't the same. Everyone was tense, and with three seats empty, he knew things weren't going to be as they once were. Already, as a supervisor, he was hearing the rumors, the whispers of the inevitable. With everything going on, he didn't have the heart to even bring the news gently, prepare his team for what he knew was going to happen. Most of all, he was worried about what was going to happen to Jack and Sue, professionally, although for the time being, Sue's physical well being was top priority. Dimitrius made a decision – he would have to keep things to himself, until anything was certain. And he had to do it for the sake of his team. They had enough battles to fight at present, as he knew when they found out what he knew was coming, there was definitely going to be another one.

-----

Jack held vigil at Sue's bedside. Her condition was worsening and he felt himself slipping away as well. He felt torn. The case at work was moving slowly. There was still at least one terrorist on the loose, possibly two, depending on what had happened with Ahmed Raman. Still, the terrorists could recruit more. Then there were the biological weapons that still could be out there. Ahmed Raman, no one knew where he stood, and it was not like he could tell them anything anymore. The team was broken, distracted, and barely functioning. He felt an obligation to his team, as a leader, and a burning desire to catch whoever did this. But he couldn't find it in him to leave Sue's bedside. For years he had put work before a relationship with Sue, convincing himself that his job as team leader was important, somehow trying to debate with himself that either she didn't feel that way, or he was deceived in his own feelings.

Conflicted, Jack watched Sue breathing shallow and quickly. The doctor had sedated her again. Occasionally she would become delusional, from the fever, asking for Judy, asking for her brother Ben. Death was starting to claim his grasp on her and it was terrifying Jack. The only hope he had was the fact that the antibiotics were on the way.

Jack turned in his seat as he watched Sue's doctor come in. He headed directly for Jack, and he knew immediately that the news couldn't be good.

"Mr. Hudson, we need to talk. Perhaps we should go out into the hall, so we don't disturb Miss. Thomas?" Jack nodded and followed the doctor out, giving one last glance back to Sue.

-----

"I just got news from the medical examiners office. They finished the autopsy on Ahmed Raman. He died of a gunshot wound to his chest. He bled out." Bobby announced as Myles, D, and Lucy gathered around his desk.

"Do we know if he's involved yet? Or even who might have killed him?" D asked.

"We have no idea. No trace evidence other than the bullet and the buckets of blood apparently on the farmhouse floor, all Raman's. It's as if we've hit another dead end. These terrorists still have biologicals, might have gathered more backup, and are most certainly planning something else. We have no idea how many of them there could be." Bobby said, obviously frustrated. Dimitrius replied,

"We need to try and track down Ahmed's phone records. See if anyone made a call to him, or if he called anyone right before he died. It could lead us as to who may have killed him."

-----

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, the moment they walked into the hallway. The doctor took a deep breath.

"We know she has a pulmonary infection from the bacteria, which resulted in this severe case of pneumonia, along with the fever. However, I am getting concerned. Apart from the respiratory distress she's obviously in, her fever isn't breaking, her blood pressure is way too low, her heart rate is well above 90 beats per minute, and she's become disorientated and delusional occasionally when she's awake…" Jack quickly interrupted.

"I thought you said those were symptoms of the fever?" The doctor nodded.

"They can be, but the nurse also noticed a skin lesion. From what I've researched, a lot of these symptoms aren't caused by the tularemia bacteria." Jack looked at the doctor, trying to process what he was saying.

"You mean she hasn't been infected from the bacteria?" Jack asked, almost hopefully. The doctor hesitated.

"I can't say for certain. It's obvious she's been infected with something. The blood work done for the tularemia bacteria is inconclusive; the only reason we were certain was because of the evidence you provided from the biological accident and the symptoms when she first came in. But is there any possible way your information could have been wrong? Could it have been something else that they were using?"

"It could have. I need to contact my team at work, so they can start finding out." Jack moved to walk away, but the doctor put his hand on his should.

"I'm sorry, but there's more I have to tell you." Jack stopped, unwillingly, but turned to look at the doctor. "Sue's white blood cell count is down. Her body is having trouble fighting off the unknown infection and has gone into septic shock. Her immune system has been comprised, and if she ends up catching something else, even a cold, it could be fatal."

"What does this mean? What about the antibiotics that are on their way?" Jack asked faintly.

"Until we know for certain, I still want to give her the antibiotics. It still could be Tularemia for all we know. The other two patients who were infected as well have not shown any skin lesions or low white blood cell count…as of yet. It could just be that they are progressing slower. I want to move Miss. Thomas into a clean room in the ICU. No one will be able to enter without being fully garmented and antiseptically cleaned first to ensure no foreign bacteria or anything else can enter her room. Her immune system needs every bit of help it can get at this point. Once we get the antibiotic we will try and use it, and until we find out what's wrong, we will continue to run lab tests on other possible infections it might be. The sooner we find out what's causing this, the better."

Jack took a few breaths as his mind spun. He could tell the doctor was watching him, watching him try to process all the information; trying to understand what exactly was going wrong.

"I promise you Mr. Hudson, we are doing everything we can, but I do have to warn you to prepare for the worst." Jack looked up at the doctor, who was looking at him sympathetically. Jack wasn't ready to give up that easily.

"I should call my co-workers. We need to find who and what did this." The doctor nodded, and watched as Jack walked away, pushing back his emotion, as he made his way to the nurses station to use their phone.


	19. Chapter 18

_A/N – Glad to see the response from the last chapter I (FINALLY) posted. My goal is to get at least one chapter done a week. Hopefully more, but it's really the best I can guarantee right now! Please continue to leave your feedback, as always! And I do apologize in advance if this story doesn't end up going the way you think it might go… but never lose hope either! PS: I've started the plan on my new story – I'm getting so pumped about it… Keep your eyes posted… _

**Chapter 18**:

"Please, don't do this." The man said, frustrated, as he glared into the other man's eyes.

"I have no choice." The other man said harshly. "Things aren't working, and it's my job to make sure the work gets done. I'll give you another week, or else, you'll find yourself having problems as well, if you know what I mean."

Dimitrius didn't know what to say. He knew his team was going to battle this, and end up risking all of their careers. His bosses were adamant. It wasn't what they needed right now, but there was no way any of them were going to let this happen without a fight.

-----

"Please, don't do this…" The young man said, cowering back, afraid of the man threatening to strike, as he glared into his eyes.

"Things aren't working." The other man said harshly. "It's my job to make sure the work gets done. Unless I get what I need in a week, you'll find yourself in the same situation as the others." As the man stormed away, Rakeem tried to breath normally again. What had he gotten himself into?

The crate that he had delivered sat only feet away, but the man had still been angry. Only some of the 'weapon' his boss had wanted had arrived, and he had wanted all of it. After their lab had been destroyed and three of their coconspirators had been killed, they had to start all over again from scratch, with only a few 'supplies' salvaged from when the two men escaped. Rakeem had found himself, a few days later, recruited, an 18 year old, barely out of high school, armed only with the belief in the cause, and a hope to follow in his fathers footsteps. It was the method and the reality of it, once it set in, that began to scare him, and began to form doubts in his mind. Their group was small, their leader was adamant, and the dirty Americans had no idea what was coming, but then again, neither did he. Rakeem had thought he was passionate about killing the Americans, but as time wore on and he learned more and more, his passion seemed to turn more into apprehension.

'I just want to peek.' Rakeem thought to himself. His boss spoke of the weapon like it was their passage to freedom, their only way to rid themselves of the Americans; to show them their power. It had to be something incredible, and had to put his fears to rest, to justify his affiliation to his own conscience. Rakeem looked around to make sure none of the other men had entered the small basement room, as he quietly made his way over to the crate. He lifted the lid and was shocked to see the tiny vials.

'Was this some sort of joke?' He thought, naively. 'How were little vials of liquid supposed to terrorize a nation, and kill thousands?' Looking around again carefully, he took off the top out of one of the test tubes, just to see exactly what it was…

-----

The feel of her warm skin through the latex gloves just wasn't the same. The clean room was stark white, completely sterilized, and at present, the only place where Sue had a chance of fighting whatever was taking over her. Jack sat next to her bed, as he had for the past days, waiting; waiting for the word that the antibiotics had arrived, that one of the tests had shown something, or that his team had found out exactly what had been dispersed that fateful night.

Tara had come by to visit, but had been told quickly by the doctor that she wouldn't be able to go in. Jack watched her face, as he stood behind the glass with her. He had wanted to see how she was doing, anxious as well to do something, other that sit and be powerless.

"The doctor thinks I was lucky," Tara said quietly, looking almost guiltily towards Sue. "But they obviously don't want to take any chances of me infecting Sue with something else. I had a feeling they wouldn't let me in." She paused. Jack tried to think of something to say, but couldn't. "Any word yet on the antibiotics?"

"They should be here by this afternoon. Then we'll see if they work. One of the other two infected suddenly developed the skin lesions as well. They all caught the same thing, and it looks more and more like it wasn't the Tularemia." He paused as well, continuing to watch Sue, though she was still asleep. It felt to him like she had been gone for weeks, for even when she was awake, her mind was really never completely there. "When do you think you'll be able to go home?" Jack asked Tara kindly, trying to somehow comfort her that it wasn't her fault that Sue got sick and she didn't.

"Early evening, if the rest of the tests come back negative. Then I guess it's back to work – Bobby told me that the case is getting no where so far..." Jack nodded.

"I heard. I feel…I feel like I should be there. Helping. But I can't also help but feel that the moment I leave here, something might happen to Sue. Guilty for wanting to go, Guilty for wanting to stay. And even if I could drag myself into work, I don't know how I would be able to concentrate knowing that Sue was here." Tara put her hand on his shoulder.

"I understand you're in a tough position Jack. You've always put your job first in your life. But you've finally had the chance to change that. I'm not too sure what's going to happen when everything is over, but I know things aren't going to be the same, in our personal lives, and in our professional lives. You need to think about whether you want a future with Sue, God willing if she makes it, and if you're ready to put your relationship with her before work, and whatever happens there."

Jack remained silent, listening to what Tara was saying. She was right. If he was going to be serious about a commitment with Sue, then his and her professional lives were going to suffer for it. However, it all depended on if she made it through this, if she survived. But if she did, and he prayed every moment to God that she would, was he ready to put aside whatever happened to his career just to be with her? Tara's quiet voice broke through his thoughts,

"I should go back to my room. Bobby's going to pick me up later tonight, and I'm sure we'll stop by before I check out. Take care of yourself Jack." Tara said quietly, as she started to walk away.

"Tara," Jack called, and she turned around. "Thanks for coming by." She gave him a small sad smile and walked back down the hospital hallway towards the elevators.

-----

"Doctor! Come quick! Somebody call a Code Blue!" The nurse yelled, as she rushed over to the bed. The doctor rushed in, ignoring the protocols for entering the clean room, as he heard the incessant beeping of the heart monitor. "She's in full cardiac arrest. Her kidneys, lungs and heart are failing." The doctor shot some drugs up her IV, to no effect; he quickly glanced over his shoulder to the dark haired man who stared frantically, both of his hands pushed firmly against the glass, helpless and staring at the woman he loved as she began to slip away. The moment he looked back at the woman, he heard the flat line of the monitor. After 20 minutes of trying to stimulate her heart, he knew it was too late.

"Time of death, 8:56 PM."


	20. Chapter 19

_A/N – Or I guess I could just post everyday, ha-ha. I'm sure you all don't mind. I was thinking about just taking another break for a few months (joking, joking) but I knew with the ending I left you all (again, I apologize for what I'm putting you all through, but please bear with me!), that I would be…in trouble… here we go again!_

**Chapter 19**:

The words from the doctor rang through his ears, as he sat unmoving on the hard, plastic chair. Jack didn't want to accept it. He could hear the doctor talking, trying to somehow reassure him, comfort him, explain, but Jack's thoughts were louder than any of the hospital noises. As dim as things had been, he had still clung to hope; that after so many things had gone wrong, not just in this situation, but in the past four years, she would make it through. Now, he just felt empty.

Jack knew he needed to call his team. They would need to know, and they would need to start frantically figuring out what really happened that night, for the sake of everyone else. They knew for sure now it wasn't the Tularemia. It was something else, something more potent, something that had already claimed a life.

"Mr. Hudson?" The doctor said quietly. Jack broke out of his reverie, and turned to look up at the doctor. "Maybe you should go home now. Get some rest. You've been here for days, and if you don't eat a good meal and get a good sleep, you'll be my next patient." Jack responded, in a dull and lifeless voice,

"I should call my coworkers at work and give them the news." The doctor nodded and watched as Jack walked down the hallway.

-----

_Earlier that day, around 6pm…_

"Tara!" Lucy squealed as she ran over to hug her friend. Everyone came over to welcome Tara and Bobby. It had been the first time in days when they had actually smiled, and actually forgotten for a few moments the turmoil their lives were in.

"How are you feeling?" Myles asked, gently.

"Fine – I got a clean bill of health. I guess I was lucky…" She said, trying not to let her guilt show. Bobby just squeezed her a little tighter.

"We saw Sue before Tara checked out as well. The doctors were just about to administer the antibiotics. Hopefully this nightmare will finally be over, and things will get back to normal." Everyone couldn't help but smile even more at the good news.

Dimitrius felt particularly relieved. If Sue began to get better, it could mean that things might be able to get back to normal for their team. If they could prove that they could function normally again, his bosses might decide not to tear their team apart. Again, he decided that he would keep quiet for now, until they had more news. He had a week, and if this antibiotic worked, things could be back on track by then.

"We also got some interesting information from Ahmed Raman's cell phone. There was a phone call made to a Rakeem Jahir at 4:52pm. The phone call lasted about 8 minutes. Since the coroner placed time of death for Raman between 4 and 5:30pm, he could have made this phone call right before he was killed." Myles informed them. Dimitrius added in,

"And there's more. Jahir's father is currently in prison for being involved in prior terrorist activity. He was apart of a bombing about 3 years back. He was one of the few that was caught, and is now serving his time."

"I guess that finding Rakeem has moved to the top of our lists." Bobby said, moving back towards his desk. As everyone seemed to settle in, and start to work, despite the late hour, Dimitrius couldn't help but feel that things might end up turning out okay, as long as nothing else went wrong.

-----

"This is Manning." Bobby said, answering his phone.

"Bobby, its Jack. You're still at work?" He said quietly, almost trying to avoid the conversation he needed to have with his best friend.

"Yeah mate, we're all here. Is everything alright?" When Jack didn't answer, Bobby immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. "Jack what is it?" Everyone in the bullpen turned to look at Bobby, panic registering on their faces. Jack took a deep breath.

"We got bad information. It wasn't the Tularemia bacteria. It was something else…" He started.

"What do you mean it was something else? Some other biological weapon? Jack – what about the antibiotics? What about Sue?" Jack took a deep breath.

-----

He stood outside of the coroner's office. Everyone had told him that he didn't need to do this, that seeing her lifeless body was going to make things even more difficult, but he knew he needed too. He needed his last goodbye, to tell her the things he wanted to say, but didn't have the chance, since she was stolen away from him before he could.

His grief weighing like a heavy burden, he looked up as the older man in the white lab coat motioned for him to come into the cold metallic room. He saw where her body was framed under a thin cotton sheet, and slowly made his way over, knowing that this was his last moment to see her face up close. But it wasn't her face that he saw. Her lips were too blue, her face was too pale; her beautiful blonde hair didn't shine, and her eyes were closed with no hint of a smile. He felt no peace.

The coroner watched in the background as the dark haired man put his hand gently on the woman's face. He had seen so many of these moments, but each one was different, each held its own despair. The man talked quietly to her, and the doctor gave him his last moments, before coming up behind him.

"I'll never forget you Julie." The man whispered into the woman's ear.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Mr. Clarke." The coroner said, as the defeated man started to walk away. He looked back, gave him a sad nod as a few tears fell down his face, and left.


	21. Chapter 20

_A/N – Now that I've gotten most of you all twisted up and confused, here comes the next chapter (and this roller coaster isn't over yet…) If you're still confused about what's happening (and that is the point…) just keep reading and things will get clearer as the story moves on. And nedfan brought up a discrepancy of how I had written that 2 terrorists had been killed, 2 had escaped and 1 was in custody, and then later I wrote that 3 terrorists were dead. It totally slipped passed me – thank you so much for pointed that out, and I'll be sure to make the correction in this chapter!_

**Chapter 20:**

Gloom settled over the bullpen. The light at the end of the tunnel seemed to become even fainter, which they had hardly believed possible before. After they had received the news, Dimitrius decided to call Ryan Creston from the NSA back, to help them out. They were back at square one.

"Our first priority is to find out what biological weapon they have." Dimitrius announced to the group of agents in front of him, trying to muster as much courage and strength into his voice, to give hope to his friends, whose faces showed the strain of what had happened. "I want everyone checking out their sources. The doctors at the hospital are still running as many tests to try and find out as well, and hopefully find a cure. Things have been too quiet lately, we know they must be planning something, and probably soon. We've already lost one person; we need to put an end to this before we lose anyone else."

Everyone returned back to their desks, working desperately to try and figure out what was going on. Dimitrius made his way over to Bobby, who seemed particularly distracted after Jack's alarming phone call.

"Have you had any luck looking up Rakeem Jahir?" D asked him kindly. Bobby shook his head.

"Not yet." He looked at his friend. "If Ahmed had called Rakeem just moments before he died, I guess we can assume that he was involved in all this."

"No matter if he was involved, we need to find Rakeem. Keep trying – and don't let this get you down. If Raman was involved, it's not your fault."

"I know," Bobby said. "It's just now, with everything that's happened to Sue…" Dimitrius put his hand on Bobby's shoulder. His team needed to pull together.

"I know, but she would have worked non stop to try and find these guys. She wouldn't want us to stop functioning because of her, no matter how grieved we are." Bobby nodded, and thanked Dimitrius, knowing that he was right, and putting all his efforts into finding Jahir.

-----

"Sir?" The young man quietly announced himself to the man sitting at the desk.

"What is it?" The man responded harshly. Rakeem swallowed quickly, nervous about how he might react. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead, praying that his boss didn't notice.

"I wanted to tell you that I've found out that the rest of the shipment…" He paused as he felt a jolt of pain in his stomach.

"What is it?" The other man angrily demanded. Rakeem continued, the pain subsiding as quickly as it had come.

"Sorry Sir. I wanted to tell you myself that the rest of the shipment should be here by next Sunday." He waited, to see what the man would say, as he felt incredibly uncomfortable in the stifling hot room.

"Is that the best you can do?" He said abruptly.

"Yes sir, but I'll keep trying." Rakeem could feel the pain in his stomach again. He tried desperately to remember what he had eaten that day, and why it just wasn't settling. He waited, trying to hide his anguish, as the pain remained longer than the last time.

"Very well." The man said, returning back to the work on his desk, as Rakeem quietly made his way back out of the back office, and then back outside. Despite the cold temperature, he felt incredibly warm, wishing to put some snow against his hot face, but unwilling to strip his jacket, feeling almost cold at the same time. Trying to ignore the pain in his gut, and the headache he felt coming on, he made his way over to his car. Maybe if he talked to his friend at the shipping company again, flashed a little more money that Naveen had given him to help with the mission, maybe he could surprise the boss and get the rest of the weapon to them sooner.

'I just hope the rest of the weapon is something more powerful than those little vials in the last box.' Rakeem thought to himself, when it suddenly hit him. What if he had picked up the wrong package? What would his boss need with tiny little vials full of some strange, colorless liquid? If he had, he was as good as dead. He decided to check at the shipping company as well, just to make sure there hadn't been any mistake, but something wasn't right about the whole situation, but Rakeem just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

-----

"I just got word from the hospital." Myles announced, standing up quickly. Everyone turned to look at him quickly, the worry evident on their faces. Before anyone could get too troubled, he quickly finished, "The third terrorist, the one we caught, just died in hospital. He obviously isn't going to tell us anything like we had hoped."

"If we got information that was bad, about the bacteria, then who's to say that the information about the number of terrorists was right either? I mean so far, the only thing that Raman got right was that they were using a biological weapon. More could have gotten away, or maybe not all of them were at the house that night." Tara said.

"She's right. Even if they had only been five terrorists at the beginning, there's no way of knowing how many they could have recruited. If it is a biological weapon, they must have a scientist, someone with the kind of lab experience that could put together the weapon." Ryan Creston added in.

"I'm already on it," Tara informed him. "I've been looking up scientists, professors, anyone that I could think of that might be able to do this. I'm narrowing down the list as we speak. I'll let you know as soon as we know anything…" She drifted off her sentence as she turned to see Jack quietly lurking in the doorway.

"Jack?" She said quickly, as everyone turned to look at him. There were dark bags under his eyes; it looked like he hadn't slept or eaten in days, which they all knew he hadn't.

"I needed a change of scenery…" He said quietly, as everyone made their way over, Tara and Lucy both giving him a hug. Something wasn't right though. Bobby could tell Jack was there for a reason; he could tell that Jack was trying to figure out how to say something, but he was scared at what his best friend needed to tell them. They hadn't been able to drag him away from Sue as of yet, and now he had shown up at the office. Something had to be very wrong for him to come in person.

"Jack?" He said, "What is it?" He paused, as Jack looked away. "Is it Sue?" Bobby asked quietly, fearing for the answer.

Jack just nodded.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

"Jack? What is it?" Dimitrius asked quickly.

"The doctor said her kidneys are starting to shut down. We're running out of time." Jack said quietly, obviously dead on his feet. No one said anything, as Jack looked around, trying to avoid anything but the looks on their faces – the looks of despair. The bullpen around him was a mess, pictured posted all over the board, with messy writing scribbled everywhere. Papers covered each desk, full of information they were trying to process.

For Jack, it felt like the terrorist attack had already taken place, and there he was trying to pick up the pieces of the horror they had caused, but he knew for everyone else, they were desperately trying to stop it from happening, as well as figure out what had caused Sue and the other man to lay in the hospital, slowly dying.

"The coroners report from Julie Clarke came back. She died of multiple organ failure." Myles said quietly, "but the coroner said they're still continuing to test and see if they can find the source. One upside to what happened though is now we know one of the symptoms."

"What's going to happen with Sue? Is there any way they can slow what's happening?" Tara asked.

"Apparently her progression has been slower than Julie Clarke's." Jack explained, remembering vividly what the doctor had told him. As he saw it, any good news was welcome. "But, she may need a kidney transplant. They think its too risky right now, at the chance of infection, but if we don't find out what caused this, or even if we do and her kidneys are too badly damaged, then the transplant will be necessary."

"We should all get checked – see if any of us are matches." Lucy said immediately. Jack nodded, in thanks.

"I've contacted her family too – they're all being tested. They should be here in the next few days as well."

"Jack – maybe you should go home, get some sleep…" Bobby said, not the only one noticing how incredibly worn he looked.

"No, no – I don't want to leave Sue…"

"Jack, go home. I'll head to the hospital now and get the tests done and stay with her for a few hours." Lucy said, grabbing her coat. Jack reluctantly agreed, but knew that he was grateful for a chance for different scenery and some better sleep than he got in the hospital chair.

"Call me if you hear of anything?" He said both to his team, and to Lucy, and they all agreed, as he trudged his way back out the door, towards the parkade.

-----

"We still need a good location to disperse the bacteria." Armand said, taking a seat in front of his boss. "Jonas is working on weaponizing what we have as we speak, and will finish once the second shipment arrives."

"The new guy – Rakeem. Are you sure we can trust him." The man said. "He's already messed up part of this shipment. He's quite young. We should have had everything by now. "

"I'll keep my eye on him, but he is faithful just like his father was. He won't betray us, though he might not be as intelligent as some of the others. He is well situated as a worker at the shipping company, and thus far the FBI has not been able to track us since we eliminated Raman." Armand explained.

"Find a location, and let me know the moment we're done. It's time America paid for its crimes."

-----

Jack felt guilty, but waking up after 4 hours straight of sleep on his bed, in his home, he felt better than he had in weeks. His thoughts at first had been about Sue, but soon the exhaustion had taken over him. After a good shower, and a clean set of clothes, Jack made his way back to his car to drive to the hospital again. He felt strangely at peace. After days of worrying, finding out about the sudden death of one of the other victims, not knowing if Sue was going to make it, it was like the sleep he had gotten him had given him a renewed hope. The doctors were working hard, his friends were working hard. He knew that if Sue made it through this, he was going to put being with her above what happened at work. The last week had shown him how compared to a life with her, his life as an FBI agent was no where as important to him anymore.

He looked through the glass to see Lucy talking quietly to Sue, who seemed to be responding. He hoped that for Lucy's sake that she was coherent. None of her other friends had been able to spend much time with her, and he knew that Lucy had to be incredibly lonely without her best friend with her at their apartment. He went and suited up, before entering the room. Smiling as he saw Sue give him a weak smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Lucy asked, noticing how much better he looked. He nodded. She turned and said goodbye to her best friend, and excused herself from the room. Jack took her seat and took Sue's hand in his.

"How are you feeling?"

"Still tired, but I feel like for the first time in days, I'm somewhat myself, but the doctor told me about my kidneys…" She trailed off. Jack could tell she was trying to be positive, if not for her sake but for his, but he could see he was scared.

"Don't worry about that now. We'll find you another kidney if it comes to that. You need to keep you're spirits up until we find out what this is. Everyone's working really hard to figure this out."

"How are the other two that got sick? Are they okay? Has anyone else gotten sick too?" Jack swallowed. He hated lying to her, but the last thing he wanted was worry her even more, and let her know that they had already suffered one casualty.

"No one new is sick, and they're still trying to heal all of you." Jack said, as inconspicuously as he could. There was silence for a few minutes. Jack wasn't too sure if she had maybe drifted off to sleep again, or was just taking a break, conserving her energy.

"Jack," she finally said quietly. He gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster. "I know things are serious, and I worried about you." He squeezed her hand.

"Don't worry about me honey. Worry about getting yourself better." She shook her head.

"I know that things are bad. If my kidneys go, something else could go next. I need to know that you'll be alright if I don't make it." Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Sue…Don't talk like this."

"Jack, we have to be realistic. If it's my time to go…" Jack moved closer to her, and looked right into her eyes.

"I will not lose you Sue. We are going to fight this. These terrorists are not going to win. We always get our guy, and this time is going to be no different. Promise me you won't stop fighting." He could see the tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

"I promise Jack. I love you."

"I love you too." He said, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, wishing he could hold her in his arms.

-----

Dimitrius walked slowly into the bullpen, as everyone sat working. He cleared his throat and everyone looked up at him.

"They found Rakeem Jahir." He said simply. Bobby got up from his chair, excitedly.

"Where is he? Is he in custody?" Everyone felt excited at the break in their case. Dimitrius shook his head.

"He was admitted to the hospital. Same symptoms as Sue and the others. He has the bacteria."


	23. Chapter 22

_A/N – I hate being sick, especially when I've got a midterm in less than a week… on the other hand, it means I can sit in bed, drink my tea, watch Sue Thomas and write! Here we go…_

**Chapter 22:**

"What?" Bobby said, looking at Dimitrius.

"It looks like he caught the bacteria." Dimitrius explained. "Someone found him unconscious on the ground, and being a Good Samaritan, they called 911. Hospital staff admitted him, and alerted us the moment they figured out his identity."

"What's his condition?" Tara asked. D answered,

"He's not doing great. The doctors think he must have been very exposed to a potent concentration of the bacteria. His symptoms are progressing much faster than the others – we need to go there and talk to him. Try and see if he'll give us any information – Myles and Bobby, why don't you go. See what you can find out – you know what's at stake. Do what you have to do – he may hold the key to what they have."

-----

"Bobby, Myles? What are you doing here?" Jack said, as he grabbed his cup of coffee from the vending machine. Myles turned to look at Bobby, wondering if they should tell him what was going on. Jack looked curiously between the two. "What's going on?" He asked again. Bobby decided to take the lead, walking next to Jack as they made their way towards ICU where both Sue and Rakeem were.

"We found Rakeem Jahir – the last person Ahmed Raman called. He was brought in here about 3 hours ago, same symptoms as everyone else. We've come to talk to him, see if we can't figure something out." Jack didn't say anything, but they both knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You're not going in there Jack and playing bad cop. Let Bobby and I handle it." Jack responded,

"I'll watch from outside. Do what you have to do." They passed by Sue's room, and They all looked through the glass walls, to see her asleep again.

"How is she?" Bobby asked, nodding towards the door.

"She's hanging in there, for now. But I can tell she's worried – the doctor told her about her kidneys, and their running her on dialysis now every two days, but I didn't tell her about Julie Clarke."

"Myles and I plan on getting tested once we're done here. I'm sure we'll find a match, just in case." Jack nodded, as he glanced one more time, before they made their way to the room only a few doors down.

The three men watched from outside the door, at the man lying on the bed, machines beeping. Jack could feel his stomach clench. This man was part of the reason Sue was lying in a bed, only a few doors down, dying slowly because of a bacteria they couldn't name, a bacteria the man lying on the bed brought into his country.

Myles and Bobby made their way in, as Jack stood next to the glass. For a moment, he envied Sue's ability to read lips, wishing he could hear what they were saying, but Jack knew it was probably better if he didn't know. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control and attack Rakeem.

-----

Sue woke up and looked to the chair next to her, which was empty. How fuzzy her life had become in the last week. Hours seemed like days, days like weeks, but at the same time, she felt like things were happening too quickly. She was dying too quickly. It felt like someone was squeezing the life out of her. Her lungs hurt with every breath, her body ached with every move. She wanted to get up, go for a walk, get something to eat, see Levi, see her friends, but the thought of even sitting made her tire with exhaustion.

Sue knew in her heart that time was running out, and as much as Jack desperately tried to convince her that things were going to turn out okay, she knew that he wanted her to hold on, and he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't going to lose her. With all the energy she could muster, she reached for the bedside table, fumbling for a pad of paper and a pen.

Sue had made a will a few months after she had joined the FBI, knowing that her job was dangerous, but there were still so many things she wanted to say to her friends and to her family. The doctor said it was too much risk if they all came in; in case she caught some infection, and although Lucy and Jack stayed with her, and she had seen almost all of her friends from behind the glass, Sue didn't know if she would ever get the chance to say what she needed to say. Sue knew that even if the terrorists won their battle and she didn't make it, there was no way her friends were going to let them win this war, and she needed them to know that things would be okay once she was gone.

-----

"I told you, I'm not going to say anything." Rakeem said stubbornly, beginning to cough again.

"Do you understand the kind of position you're in Rakeem?" Myles started. "We'll find out whatever bacteria your friends have, and then when we find the cure, we'll be able to decide who gets it. And trust me; you won't be at the top of our list."

"How much did these guys care about you anyways?" Bobby added in, "Since they let you contaminate yourself with the bacteria? Some friends – some holy warriors. Don't even care if one of their own snuffs it before the big gig. And you're protecting them why? Because dear old dad used to be one of them and you want to make him proud? Look where he is mate – he's in prison, doing nothing, just like you now, sitting in this hospital bed, doing nothing, nothing except dying."

Myles looked up at Bobby as Rakeem kept saying nothing. They would stay there hours if they had to, until he broke down, Sue's life depended on it, not to mention the thousands of others that could be infected once the terrorists really attacked. Finally, Rakeem spoke up,

"Who's the man behind the glass who's been watching us?"

"He's our friend mate and your worst nightmare if we let him anywhere near you." Bobby replied.

-----

Jack was surprised as Rakeem turned to look at him, and was staring at him. He stared right back, not letting him break him down. How he wanted to go into that room and rip him to pieces until he told them exactly what they needed to know. He knew he couldn't. Instead, he continued to pray, over and over, that God would break him down and help them find a cure for Sue.


	24. Chapter 23

_A/N – Ha-ha, so much for once a week. I didn't even think that was too much to ask, but time just gets away from you so easily. I'll try to be more faithful to posting, but as most of you understand, school is a priority (plus it doesn't help that I work full time as well…)_

**Chapter 23:**

Rakeem glanced every once in a while at the man glaring at him outside. He couldn't understand how he could be affected. He knew that part of their weapon had been destroyed when the FBI had raided the last time, but since no one had divulged exactly what the weapon was, he assumed that the part that was missing was in the crate waiting for him at the shipping company he worked for. Now he got caught with this "bacteria" they seemed to be talking about, and got stuck in the hospital. Now what was he going to do.

"I told you," he said again to the agents who kept questioning him, "I'm not telling you anything." The blond haired one leaned closer.

"You work for a shipment company. I assumed that you're the one who got the weapon for whoever you're working for. You must know something." Rakeem felt annoyed.

"The only thing I picked up for them was a crate full of little vials of water or something." Both of the men froze and looked at him. "I'm not telling you who I work for – I haven't even seen the weapon yet, and I would never tell you! America must pay for her crimes!" The two men weren't even listening to his tirade. The darker skinned man asked him quietly,

"What did those little vials look like – was there anything written on them?" Rakeem looked at him like he was crazy. It was probably just some delicacy Armand and the big boss liked. He tried to think – let the FBI chase useless information; it gave his friends more time to prepare for the attack.

"It was just a clear liquid in small vial. I think the label started with an M, and then had some numbers underneath. Why? It's probably just some exotic drinking water or something." He started again in a fit of coughing, as Bobby and Myles looked at each other.

"We'll be back later to question you more. There will be an officer stationed outside your door, so don't even think about trying to leave." Myles said, as they hurried out into the hallway, where Jack was waiting.

-----

"How's it coming with Rakeem's cell phone?" Dimitrius asked, as he walked towards Tara's desk.

"Pretty well actually – there's a few numbers that I can't seem to trace yet, and it's probably the numbers we need, but I'm working on it. I'll let you know as soon as I find something." She explained. Tara looked over towards Lucy, which D noticed.

"She's taking this pretty hard." He said. Tara nodded.

"She hasn't said anything, but I know she hasn't been sleeping – she's either here or at the hospital first thing in the morning. It doesn't help that their entire apartment reminds her of Sue."

"I got tested. I'm not a match." D said quietly, the disappointment evident in his voice.

"Me neither." Tara responded in a low whisper. "Lucy told me she wasn't either, but Bobby, Myles, and Jack still need to find out, not to mention her family. There's got to be a match."

"We'll find one – don't worry…" D said, touching Tara on the shoulder as he walked back to his desk.

-----

Sue placed her finished work under her pillow. The writing had exhausted her, but at least she had had a chance to write what she needed to say. It wasn't the way she wanted to say goodbye, but not everyone always had a chance even for a written goodbye. Sue groped around her bed, trying to find her call button for the nurse. She could feel her eyes unfocusing, a tightness in her chest, as if someone had put a huge weight on top of her. Every breath made her more exhausted, every movement like running a mile. She could feel herself getting sleepy, as she turned to look at the empty chair. She was alone and she didn't know if she would wake up back in this bed, or in heaven. She wished she could just see her family and her friend's one more time; see Jack one more time. As the darkness started to overtake her, she turned to look out the glass walls, unable to hear the incessant beeping of the machines, the last thing she saw being Jack suddenly appearing, pressing his hand against the window, mouthing the word 'No'.

-----

"What did he say?" Jack asked quickly, as he walked up to Myles and Bobby, who were leaving Rakeem's room.

"The guy isn't so smart." Myles started. "He kept admitting he won't tell us anything, but he mentioned a crate he picked up for his bosses." Bobby continued,

"He told us that the crate was full of little vials of clear liquid, he assumed was some exotic water. It obviously the bacteria, only he had no clue. I assume he decided to take a look, maybe even a drink. He's not doing so well. He doesn't even think they have the weapon yet, which tells me, they must not have all of the bacteria yet. It must be a wide scale attack they're planning."

"There more," Myles added. Jack looked at him curiously.

"What?" He said.

"He said there was a label on the vials. A name that started with M, and he said there was some numbers underneath - probably the concentration."

"Which means that might help us narrow down what is causing this!" Jack exclaimed happily.

"It also means that there are getting the bacteria from a professional source. Terrorists don't label their bacteria with the name and concentration on the vials. They must have someone on the inside in some lab that got access to the bacteria and is sending it to them, probably in shipments." Bobby added in.

"At least it's something…" Myles started. They all turned quickly, as they heard beeping down the hall. No one moved as they saw a group of doctors and nurses run into the nearby room.

"Sue…" Jack whispered. They all hurried down the hall, Jack reaching it first, as he stared inside. He saw Sue's eyes staring at him, then slowly start to close. "No…" He whispered as he felt his heart break, Sue's body hidden from his view as the doctors worked to revive Sue.


	25. Chapter 24

_A/N – I really want to apologize for not posting as soon as I had hoped. School is getting a bit harder, and taking up most of my time. There's no way I'm going to be able to guarantee when I get these chapters up anymore, but I really appreciate your patience. It's got to be hard waiting, not knowing. At least for me, I know the ending of my story. Thank you for all the reviews and support although I haven't been as faithful as I would like with my postings…_

**Chapter 24:**

Tara approached Lucy's desk. Her friend looked exhausted.

"Hey – how are you doing?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Lucy looked up from her work.

"I'm okay, I guess. I'm not a match." Tara tried to reassure her friend,

"We'll find one, don't worry. If it even comes to that. We haven't heard from Myles or Bobby yet – we're making good progress." Lucy nodded.

"I know. It's just every night when I go home… the apartment's empty, Levi just sits there, and he barely eats. All he does is sit in front of Sue's bedroom. It was one thing when she was with her family, I could call her, I could talk to her, and I knew she was coming home. Now, when we talk, she's so weak she can barely get a sentence out, and sometimes, she's not even coherent."

"That's got to be hard." Tara emphasized. She missed Sue too, and she couldn't even go and talk to her in her room, since she had been exposed to the virus. The doctors wanted to take every precaution, and therefore weren't letting anyone else enter, to reduce her risk of catch an infection. "Listen, Luce. Why don't you and Levi stay with me for a few days? That way you don't have to be home alone. I have a spare room, and we could just carpool together. Get out of the apartment for a bit; give yourself sometime to process everything that's going on."

"Thanks Tara. Actually, that might be a good idea. Sue's family should be here in the next few days. I don't even know where to begin telling them everything. All they know is that Sue is sick, and she might need a transplant. The bureau wouldn't let us tell them that it's because of terrorists and biological weapons."

"I'm guessing that's why they hadn't rushed up here when Sue was admitted 3 days ago." Lucy nodded.

"They only just found out that Sue was in the hospital, sick, so that way they could get tested. D made the phone call…" Tara decided it was time to change the subject, but before she had the chance, she saw Dimitrius hang up his phone, his face distraught.

"That was Myles." He said simply. Both Tara and Lucy got up and hurried over.

"What? What is it? Did they get anything out of Rakeem? Is it Sue?" Tara asked quickly. All he did was nod.

"They talked to Rakeem. They have a lead on the bacteria. The labs are testing the information now, but there's more." Lucy felt her heart drop into her stomach, as she whispered.

"It's Sue, isn't it? Something's happened?" All Dimitrius did was nod.

-----

"Where's Rakeem?" The man said angrily.

"I haven't heard from him. It's unlike him." Armand responded. He knew Rakeem was an idiot, but he was the perfect pawn for their game. He was perfectly situated, and he had the desire to avenge his father, a lethal combination.

"And you're sure we can trust him?"

"I know we can. He might not be very smart, but he would never rat us out. He wants to avenge old Jahir too much. When I talked to Jahir in prison, he assured me that his son would do whatever it takes to help us accomplish our mission." Armand explained.

"If we don't hear from him by tonight, we need to send someone else to pick up the rest of the package. If this is going to happen in a week today, Ramie must have the rest of the bacteria by tomorrow." The boss explained, angrily.

"If I don't hear from him, I'll send one of my other guys to pick it up. And I'll get my guys out looking for Rakeem…" Another man came hurrying in, wearing a lab coat.

"What is it Ramie?" The man behind the desk demanded.

"A bit of the bacteria is missing." Ramie said simply. "It's not much, and it won't affect our plans but I thought you should know. One of the vials had been opened, and about 1 mL is missing."

"It must have been Rakeem. He's the only one who had access."

"But why?" Armand said. "He must have been exposed." Ramie nodded in agreement, and added,

"There's no way he'll survive if he was exposed at that concentration."

"Then he might be dead somewhere, or in the hospital." The boss stood up.

"He needs to be taken care of. If they figure out what the bacteria is, and that it's still out there, the FBI might find out. They might even convince Rakeem to spill. Someone needs to silence him. As far as the feds know, all of the bacteria was confiscated when they raided our last safe house, and only 2 got away. They probably even think that Raman was one of us. We need to keep this under their radar."

"I'll get one of my men to dispose of him." Armand said, making his way out of the room.

-----

Jack made his way slowly into the sterile, dimly lit room. He appreciated that Myles and Bobby were giving him some time alone, though the looks on their faces mirrored his grief. He made his way over, sitting in the chair, feeling completely empty, beyond grief. He reached over and touched her hand. It was cold.

Jack didn't know how long he sat there in his anguish, until he heard a woman come up behind him.

"Are you Jack Hudson?" The nurse asked quietly. Jack just nodded.

"We found this just after she…" She stopped herself, noticing the look on his face. "I think she had written it for you." She handed him the piece of paper, and he held it in his trembling hands. "I'll leave you be…" The nurse said, as she quietly made her way out again.

Jack looked at the piece of paper, folded in half with his name written on the front; he immediately recognized Sue's writing, although it wasn't as tidy as usual. She had probably written it while she was in the hospital. Slowly, he unfolded it, and read the first few lines.

_Dear Jack,_

_If you're reading this, the first thing I want you to remember is how much I love you. _

Jack could feel the tears stinging in his eyes, as he folded up the piece of paper again. He couldn't read it, not then. He wasn't ready to let her go and hear her final goodbyes.

-----

_A/N – Oh how I can picture you guys shaking the computer monitor in frustration. I know this is a sad chapter, and I promise I will post again as soon as I can. I did what I had to do, but please don't give up on this story! I look forward to reading the reviews… _


	26. Chapter 25

_A/N – Well, I figure I've let you all suffer enough, wondering exactly what had happened, how things were going to turn out after the last chapter. Hold on to your seats though – the ride won't be over for a while yet. has been giving me trouble posting chapters lately, so hopefully, I'll be able to get this posted soon. Enjoy and please review. Thank you to all of you who give me such unwavering support. _

**Chapter 25**:

The doctor sat down next to the two men, sitting uncomfortably on the plastic hospital couch.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Jahir is getting worse. I expect he only has another day or two to live, if that." Dr. Kirkland informed the two FBI agents. "If you want to still try and get information out of him, you're going to have to do it soon. I expect that he will go into organ failure anytime, following the same pattern as your friend did…" He trailed off, knowing the open wound that subject was.

"Thank you Doctor." Myles responded. "Has the lab gotten any closer to finding what bacteria caused this?" Dr. Kirkland replied,

"We're hoping the lead he gave us is correct. The technicians have been testing for every parasite, fungus or bacteria that starts with an M, especially those that could be dispersed in a biological weapon. Hopefully my patient hasn't sent us on a wild goose chase." Myles shook his head.

"If he was stupid enough to open up a vial and expose himself without realizing it was a biological weapon, I'm sure he is stupid enough to have let this slip. When should we know the results?"

"Some of these tests need days for the results to appear. We're going as fast as we can…" Bobby finally piped up.

"What about the other man who was infected during the initial explosion when Julie Clarke and Sue were both exposed? How is he?"

"Because the biologicals hadn't been weaponized at that time, it all had depended on how much each patient was exposed to, which is why some people did not show signs at all. You need much higher concentrations of the non-weaponized form to cause havoc. Your friend Miss. Thomas and Julie Clarke both had been exposed to higher concentrations than Mr. Kent. His symptoms are progressing much slower than anyone else's, though it is still vital that we find out what causes this before it becomes too late for him. Also, Sue, Julie, and John Kent had weaker immune systems at the time, which is why even though Miss Williams had been exposed, her body may have been better equipped to fight off the foreign pathogen. She also had gotten on her mask earlier, and those seconds before Miss Thomas had gotten hers on made all the difference." Bobby just nodded.

"Thank you again Doctor." Myles said, as they watched Dr. Kirkland walk away.

"We need to talk to Rakeem soon. A last attempt to get whatever we can out of him." Myles nodded at Bobby's suggestion. They glanced down the hall where they knew Jack was probably in Sue's room. They knew that he needed time alone to grieve, and they also knew that seconds were ticking away for Jahir, and they not only had to find out what bacteria had contaminated these people, but how they were going to stop a wide spread terrorist attack that would cause even more causalities than they had already suffered.

-----

"I found out where he is, Sir." Armand said quietly to his boss. Silence followed, and he took it as a sign to continue. "He was admitted to George Washington University Hospital ICU. He's still alive." A low growl came from behind the desk.

"I assume that you will be taking care of that?" Armand nodded.

"Yes Sir. I will personally make sure this time that he is silenced."

"Good." The big boss said. "After the incident with Ahmed Raman, I don't want any more leaks from our operation. Everything is set to go in 6 days. I do not want to deter my schedule again Armand. Or someone will pay the price."

"Yes Sir." Armand said quietly again, making his way out of the room, the small gun heavy in his coat pocket.

-----

"You're dying Rakeem. There's no way to save you anymore. All you need to do is tell us something, anything. We can make this easier for you. Get the doctors to help with the pain – it's going to get more painful and if you don't help us, we'll be tempted to make sure the doctors don't give you anything." Bobby said forcefully into Rakeem's face. The sweat was dripping off Jahir's brow, his fever escalating from the bacteria and from the forceful interrogation by the agents.

"I... don't know… anything." He said firmly again, but he knew these men weren't going to give up. He had to be dying. Even though his doctors and these agents had told him the day before, he hadn't believed them. But now, now the pain was searing through his body, and the doctors and nurses were doing nothing but shooting clear fluid up his IV. Clear fluid like the vial he had opened. That he had tempted to taste. The expensive water that had tasted so bitter. Maybe it had been something more. Maybe he had been wrong.

"We know you know something Rakeem. Let us make this easier for you. None of your Jihad buddies are here now, are they? They are all safe and they didn't even have the decency to warn you about the dangers of their weapon, did they?" Myles said, taking a seat next to his bed. There was no way they were going to leave until either they had information, or Rakeem was no longer able to communicate.

-----

Jack took a seat outside of the ICU room, Sue's letter still in hand. The nurse had told him that she needed to prepare her. Prepare her. A million thoughts flitted through his head, the most prominent being, how life was never going to be the same again. How was he going to deal with going back to work? With hanging out with his coworkers and friends? With being the same Jack Hudson, Special Agent for the FBI? His thoughts were disrupted as three people came dashing down the hall towards him.

"Jack?" Lucy said the tears evident on her face. Tara and Dimitrius came up behind her, and glanced through the glass wall of Sue's room at her still body.

"Where are Myles and Bobby?" Dimitrius asked softly, wondering why they had left him alone at a time like this.

"They went to talk to Rakeem's Doctor. I wanted some time alone…with her." He muttered quietly. Tara placed her hand on Jack's arm.

"What's on the paper?" Jack swallowed hard and replied in a small voice,

"Sue wrote her goodbyes." Lucy beside him was shaking her head, the sobs rising from her chest.

"No." She said firmly. "No. We're not saying goodbye. Not now, not yet." Dimitrius put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Jack wasn't sure how long they sat there, with only the sound of Lucy's sobs, when he saw an older couple hurry down the hallways towards their small group.

"Lucy, Jack!" Mrs. Thomas explained, her face pale. "What's going on? For God's Sake, tell me what's going on!" Dimitrius looked at Jack. Only he knew fully what had happened; Jack had been there, and as hard as it was going to be for him, he was going to have to be the one that explained to her parents.

Jack took a deep breath. They deserved the truth. Screw the FBI and their rules. They had a right to know why this had happened to their daughter.

"Sue caught a bacteria that was dispersed during a raid. We were on to some terrorists and they fled, but blew up the house first." Tara and Dimitrius both looked at Jack,

"Jack…" Dimitrius said, but he didn't stop him from continuing.

"It took a few days for the symptoms to start showing up. At first, when she got really bad and she was admitted the doctors had thought she had pneumonia, but we soon realized that she had caught the bacteria." Mr. Thomas interrupted,

"What bacteria? Why haven't the doctors just given her something to cure this?" Dimitrius stepped in for Jack.

"The doctors don't know yet what bacteria it was, so they had no idea how to treat her. Her symptoms kept progressing. There were two others that had caught the bacteria as well. One passed away a few days ago." Mrs. Thomas let out a gasp as she gripped her husband hand harder. Jack could see her eyes welling up with tears.

"And Sue? What about Sue?" Mr. Thomas urgently asked. Dimitrius looked at Jack. Jack continued, his voice hushed,

"A few hours ago, she slipped into a coma. She's in complete kidney failure, her lungs can't work on their own anymore and the doctors say her liver has begun to shut down too." Silence rang out for a few minutes, as the Thomas' as well as Dimitrius, Tara, and Lucy absorbed this information.

"What does this mean for her?" Mrs. Thomas whispered. Jack looked her in the eyes, and said quietly back,

"It means she only has max five more days to live… if she's lucky."


	27. Chapter 26

_A/N – As always, sorry for the wait! It seems like I just have to grit and bear it for another two years "ish" and finish my degree, and then I'll finally have some freedom. And definitely MORE time to write!! Although I pray this story is done before then! Joking, joking… I'm sure it won't be THAT long. _

_Just to answer a quick question that some of you might have picked up, but Nedfan posted in a review asking about why people are having close contact with people infected with some unknown bacteria. You make a very valid point, thank you for bring that to my attention (you always write such insightful reviews!!) In my mind, I always see them wearing their gowns, masks, and gloves, but I guess I haven't always portrayed that in my writing. (I did emphasize that Sue was in a clean room so she wouldn't get infected, but this also applies to those who have contact with her). Precautions are being taken to make sure the bacteria isn't spread – but don't forget, it wasn't weaponized. Sometimes we are exposed to small quantities of bacteria that can be harmful, but our body does have good immune systems which can fight off that bacteria, which is part of the reason Tara didn't get sick and Sue did. Sue was already slightly immuno-compromised because of her hypoglycemia (and recent emotional trauma from part 1 of Within). _

_Wow, this is a long author's note – but thank you all for your great reviews and support. From the response, I know you guys are grateful that for a second time now, I didn't "actually" kill off Sue, although I know I had some of your worried – do you think I could pull it off a third time? Muahaha… only the future can tell. Here it goes…_

**Chapter 26:**

Jack felt someone sit next to him. He had wanted to give Sue's parents some time to spend with her, although he dreaded the next time he would have to face them. The Thomas's should be furious with him. He had withheld so much from them, and now they might never have the chance to speak with their daughter again, to hear her voice, see her eyes… and it was his fault. He had stolen her last moments awake, and it was his fault she was there in the first place. Jack slowly looked up as he felt a warm cup of liquid being placed in his hands.

"How are you holding up?" Sue's mom asked him. Jack could see the pain etched in every wrinkle on her face, the pain that hid behind her eyes that reminded him of Sue. She had just lost her son and his family; now she was about to lose her daughter. What right did he have to feel anything? He just shrugged, taking a sip of the bitter coffee, before setting it down.

"Any change?" Jack asked quietly. Carla Thomas just shook her head, but placed a hand on Jack's forearm.

"God will take her if it's her time, but only then." She knew that her words were of no comfort to the man. "Jack…" He interrupted.

"You have no right to console me." He said quietly. "It's your daughter; she's your flesh and blood. I should be reassuring you… and you should be angry at me for everything that's happened…"

"Is that what you think?" Carla's tired eyes bore into his, before Jack quickly looked away. "I just lost my son, daughter in law, and my three little grandchildren. When Sue came home after that man was arrested, I saw how she had been affected by the loss, but yet in those weeks that she was home, there was a light in her eyes. A light because she knew that there was someone back home waiting for her. Waiting to love her. It gave her strength and hope Jack, that there was things, like love, that would help us survive what we went through."

"But…" Sue's mom grabbed his hand, and Jack looked up at her face again.

"This is not your fault. The only reason she's made it this far is because I know you have been by her side." Carla Thomas wrapped her arms around Jack and hugged him, like a mother hugging her son. She could feel all of his grief and guilt seep as he clung to her, and she could feel the emotion rising in her chest at a man who would have given his life to have taken her daughters place. Before letting go, Mrs., Thomas whispered into Jack's ear.

"Don't give up faith Jack."

-----

Tara, Lucy and Dimitrius watched through the glass walls as Mr. Thomas sat next to his daughter's bedside. He had her hand grasped in his, and he was stroking her hair gently away from her face, talking quietly as if she could hear him, ignoring the machines around, the tubes and the monitors. They both turned as they saw Myles and Bobby walk over.

"How's she doing?" Bobby asked, glancing at Sue's room. The scene behind the glass made his heart ache for what everyone was going through.

"No change, which is, for now, a good thing according to the doctor. She just needs to stay stable until the bacteria is found and she can be treated. Then she will definitely need a kidney transplant, and possibly a liver one as well." Dimitrius answered. Myles spoke up,

"Any luck on finding a donor?" Tara shook her head,

"The results aren't back yet on Sue's family. We should know soon. What about Rakeem?"

"He won't give us anything, but I think our time is up." Myles explained. "He started going delusional, having hallucinations. He kept thinking his father was there, watching him. After that, he refused to spill anything – wouldn't want dear old daddy to hear that he was turning on his jihad buddies, even if he was simply a product of his delirium."

-----

Lucy half listened in on what her colleagues were saying. At the moment, she was most concerned with whether or not her best friend was going to make it, and that was all that seemed to cloud her thoughts. She was going to have to let her friends and coworkers deal with catching the terrorists.

She looked up, however, when she saw a dark skinned man, almost bald, walk past their group. He didn't say anything, didn't even look at them, but something in Lucy's stomach just didn't feel right; she suddenly got a bad feeling and felt like she needed to follow him. Everyone was busy talking, so she quietly got up, and made her way slowly down the hallway of the ICU, casually following the man. She paused as he turned into one of the rooms. Unsure of why her feet had brought her there, she waited for a few seconds, before turning around again, and making her way back towards Sue's room.

"I must be tired. The poor man is probably just visiting someone…" Before she could finish her train of thought, she heard a loud noise, like a gunshot. Suddenly the man came pelting out of the room, running at full speed, towards the emergency stairwell. Lucy didn't know what was making her follow him, running as fast as her tired legs would take her. She could hear the footsteps of other people behind her, and the yells of Bobby, Dimitrius and Myles.

The strange man was halfway down the stairs, when Lucy got close enough and gave him a big shove. He went toppling the rest of the way. She let her friends pass, as Bobby pulled his arms behind his back, and Myles carefully picked up the gun that had fallen out of his pocket during the fall, neither in the least concerned of the blood flowing freely out his nose.

"What's going on Lucy?" Bobby asked, confused.

"I don't know…" She started, not knowing how to explain the feeling she had that he had done something. Tara appeared breathless at the top of the flight of stairs.

"He's dead…" She said. Everyone quickly looked at her.

"Who's dead?" Dimitrius asked quickly. Tara answered,

"Rakeem. Gunshot wound between the eyes."


	28. Note from the Author Again!

**Authors Note:**

Hey everyone!

Long time no write!! Yes people – I am still around and do plan on finishing this story! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update. Most of you have probably completely forgotten this story (not to mention the first part as well) but I do hope to start working on this again soon and getting chapters up and finishing it up.

I just have to read it again, and remember where on earth I was going – I know those writing notebooks are around here somewhere, with all my notes in them….

Thank you all so much for sticking with me, and I hope, hope, hope to have something up soon!!

Hope you are all doing well,

Michelle aka Missbrat155


	29. Chapter 27

_A/N – Yes people – it is true. I am BACK! After a long 4 years, I have managed to finish my degree (top of my class too), and am currently relaxing in Australia, taking a year off. And now finally have some time to get back to one of my loves – writing. I know this story hasn't been updated in a long while, and since Sue Thomas F. B. Eye never got restarted, there are probably fewer people reading the Fanfiction. I plan of writing this chapter, and if there are still those who are interested in its continuation, I certainly will oblige. I do plan, however, on speeding things up from here on out. This story has been sitting out there without a conclusion for too long, and I really don't want to drag it out. I can't even remember half of my ideas anymore. I do promise to give the rest of it my best though, and certainly have no plan on skimping on the story. _

_Anyways, this is a long time coming, but here we go! PLEASE review and let me know your thoughts on whether or not it should be continued. If I don't hear any response, I might just end this one altogether, and get going on a few other projects – but if there are any of you out there that still want this done, I have every intention of finishing! _

_(Just as a side note – I took microbiology after I had started this story, and so the actual biological agent I had picked was one from a random list. Now that I understand how it works, it probably would have been identified a lot easier and earlier, but we're just going to have to go with it for the sake of the story! I apologize!)_

**Chapter 27:**

Several FBI agents packed the stairwell, with Dimitrius standing, giving orders to everyone. Lucy, however, sat on a chair close to the stairwell, with Tara on one side and Bobby on the other, with a stunned look on her face. Myles had agreed to take the injured man back to the FBI with another agent, with the intent of interrogating him once Dimitrius arrived back.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Tara asked her friend once again. Lucy nodded.

"I'm fine. I think I'm just a little stunned. I still don't understand what happened." Bobby joined in.

"We're pretty sure that he was ordered to kill Jafir. If so, it means that he knew something worth killing for. Hopefully when we interrogate him, we'll find out more."

"And who he is" Tara added. Her two colleagues nodded. Dimitrius approached.

"I'm going to head back to the building and help Myles. Bobby, Tara, I hate to ask, but we're probably going to need you there too."

"I'll stay here with Jack." Lucy said, getting up off her chair. The group made their way down the hallway, where they could see Jack still sitting on his chair outside Sue's room, staring through the glass as if none of the excitement that had just occurred had phased him at all.

"Jack, we've got to head back but I'll be by again later tonight." Jack just nodded. Tara gave him a quick hug, which he half heartedly returned.

"Make sure you call us if...there's any news." She said quietly, before she and Bobby continued their way down the hallway. Lucy sat down next to her friend. He turned to face her.

"Are you alright?" She nodded.

"I'm fine. We caught the guy who killed Rakeem Jafir. They're planning on interrogating him in a few hours." Again, Jack just nodded. Lucy continued, "Where are Sue's parents?"

"They went to Sue's doctor's office to talk privately." Lucy could tell Jack was bothered by the fact he didn't know what was going on. Trying to comfort the distraught man, Lucy put her hand on his shoulder,

"Why don't you go in there – sit with her awhile." She could see the tears being held at bay.

"I don't know what to say. I've been sitting here for an hour and I can't figure out what to say." He turned to look at Lucy. "How much longer can I lie? Keep telling her everything is going to be okay? Look at her – she's dying. She can't even breathe on her own anymore. Her body is shutting down. I can sit there day and night and there is absolutely nothing I can do to ease her pain. She's slipping from us Lucy, and I am completely helpless to know how to stop it." Jack stopped, trying to get his emotions under control. "I don't know what to say." He repeated.

Lucy sat and thought for a moment, staring at her best friend through the glass. Her body was so still. So frail looking, so pale. She turned to look at Jack.

"I don't know what to say either." Jack looked down at his shoes and nodded. A few moments later, he started Lucy by standing up. He walked over to the door. Lucy watched him as he put on his clean suit, and began the disinfection process. A few moments later, he sat down next to the bed, and put her lifeless hand in his, stroking her hair back gently with his other hand. With his lips, Lucy could read what he was saying – I love you, over and over again.

-----

Dimitrius and Myles were getting more and more frustrated. The man's fingerprints had been in the database. His name was Armand Bryllen, a businessman from Holland knowingly associated with several terrorist groups. He was less than cooperative with the FBI agents, however, refusing to speak a word throughout the 2 hour long interrogation.

Both Myles and D wanted to strangle the man. He likely held the key to whatever was killing Sue and the other sick man, and potentially thousands of others, if their terrorist attack was successful. They had finally given up and decided to put him back in his cell. He would be charged with the murder of Rakeem Jahir, which would at least guarantee his imprisonment for the next few decades. They were going to have to find another way to solve this case.

Just as Armand was being led out, he stopped, staring with a menacing smile into the faces of the two angry agents.

"This much I will tell you." He said. "Tomorrow will be a glorious day." With a laugh, he was led out by the guard, as Myles and Dimitrius looked at each other with apprehension. Time was running out.

-----

Sue's parents and doctor returned about a half hour later, to find Lucy curled up, asleep on the chair. Mrs. Thomas gently woke the woman, as the doctor motioned to Jack, who was sitting with Sue, to come out. Clearly, they had news to tell.

"What's going on?" Jack said as he rushed out of the hospital room.

"We have some good news." The doctor started. Jack could feel himself holding his breath, willing his heart not to get his hopes up. "For one, we found a liver and kidney donor." Lucy and Jack looked at the doctor with smiles on their faces. Lucy piped up,

"Who?"

"Me," replied Mrs. Thomas. Jack felt completely elated, yet worried at the same time. He quickly asked,

"Is that going to be alright? Is it safe?" Mrs. Thomas put her hand on his arm, and gave him a gentle smile, obviously touched by his concern for her. The doctor answered,

"There are risks, but you can live easily with only one kidney. It's the partial liver transplant that is a little more risky, but Mrs. Thomas is willing to undergo the procedure for her daughter." Jack turned and hugged the woman incredibly hard. Mr. Thomas chuckled at the man's reaction. He wished there was something he could do for his daughter. He wished he could take his wife's place and have the surgery instead of her. However, the thought of his daughter making a full recovery made him happier than he had felt in weeks.

"There's more good news too." Mr. Thomas said with a smile. The doctor looked into the hopeful faces of Lucy and Jack.

"We know what biological agent they used."


	30. Chapter 28

_A/N – I am, of course, thrilled with the amount of response I received on the last chapter!! It makes me so happy to hear that there are still lots of Sue Thomas fan's out there. Like many of you, I still wish and hope the show would come back, but am happy to be blessed with the gift of imagination that we can write our own stories about our favourite characters. I definitely plan on finishing this story. Without further ado, the next chapter!_

**Chapter 28:**

Jack got off the phone with Myles and returned back to the group that was standing outside of Sue's room.

"I informed my team that the biological agent has been identified." Jack explained. "They are going to contact the right people to make sure that the right antibiotics are acquired and stored." The doctor nodded at the man, before turning to Sue's mother.

"Sue will be given the antibiotics straight away. We should be getting the first batch in, in a few hours. As such, I would like to try and get the transplant done as soon as possible – likely tomorrow." Mrs. Thomas nodded in agreement. "I'll need you to come with my nurse to do all the appropriate paper and blood work to ensure that everything can go smoothly tomorrow."

The Thomas's followed the doctor, before disappearing around the corridor, leaving Lucy and Jack standing alone once again. Lucy could see in Jack's face something was still bothering him.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "What are you not telling me?"

"The attack is likely going to be tomorrow. The team is running out of time." Lucy nodded in understanding. The two were silent for a few moments, standing, occasionally glimpsing over through the glass at Sue.

"She's got a fighting chance now." Lucy suddenly said. "There's a good chance she's going to make it out of this." Jack gave the woman a heartfelt smile, before replying,

"It's the best news I've heard in a long time."

---

"I found something!" Tara shouted in excitement. It had been 11 long hours, and the early morning light was arising over the city, casting a foreboding gloom throughout the FBI bullpen where four agents had been working tirelessly through the night. The three other men in the room crowded around the computer genius, compelling her to explain.

"You know how Rakeem Jafir worked at that shipping company..." Tara started.

"Yes – the one we assume was bringing in the biological weapon." Myles added in. Tara nodded, before continuing,

"And coincidently, the same shipping company Bobby's informant, Ahmed Raman had dealings with. Since we have evidence that Raman talked to Rakeem Jafir soon before he had died, we can assume that Raman was getting the information he fed to Bobby from Jafir, or worked with Jafir, if in fact, he was bad and trying to throw us off their track. Armand Bryllen is likely higher up in the organization, which both Raman and Jafir would have been lower level workers – doing the dirty work for the terrorists. This still leaves the mastermind of the organization, and the lab technician who is weaponizing the bacteria." The men nodded. Bobby responded,

"The question is, however, how do we find out who these guys are? Or where they are? Or where they plan attacking? Ahmed Raman and Jafir are both dead, and there is no way Armand Bryllen is going to do any talking." Tara smiled.

"This is where it gets interesting, and may vindicate your informant after all Bobby. I believe he left us subtle clues that will lead us to the warehouse where this terror cell is hiding, and likely where the lab is as well."

"What do you mean?" asked Dimitrius.

"I've been going through some of the documents he sent to Bobby, and other information we acquired about him from his computer, since his death." Tara started. "There were some documents that were put in a file that was marked 'For Bobby', but they didn't really make sense or seem pertinent, in comparison to what else was in the file. They were shipping order forms that had nothing to do with our investigation. However, on all of the papers, the receiving workman at the shipping company who unloaded the cargo and sent it on was Rakeem Jafir, and all were sent to the same location – a warehouse. I think we have our location."

"Let's get moving!" Dimitrius shouted. Suddenly, the bullpen was abuzz with the sound of phone calls being made. Within minutes, a team had been assembled, and the four agents grabbed their coats, scurrying out the door. It was time to stop these terrorists from doing any more harm.

---

Two men sat side by side in the family waiting room. Both had identical vacant expressions on their face, holding lukewarm cups of coffee in their hands. Occasionally one would take a small sip. The morning was early, and the room was almost empty aside from the two, and a few bustling nurses going back and forth. Finally, one spoke up,

"How long do you think we'll have to wait until we hear something?" The older man sighed.

"I'm not certain. They are both in God's hands. All we can do is pray and trust the doctors." Jack knew Sue's father was right, but the waiting game was torture. It had been another sleepless night for everyone, as the drugs had arrived in the early hours of the morning, and been promptly administrated both to Sue and the other man who was sick.

The doctor had decided that the surgery would take place first thing in the morning, ensuring that Sue had the best chance to fight the infection, now with the aid of the antibiotics, and a new kidney and partial liver transplant. Both Sue and her mother had been wheeling into pre-surgery an hour ago, but no timeline had been given to either man as to how long they would have to wait until any news was delivered.

Hours passed slowly. It was now early morning, and the sun had already announced its presence in the Washington sky. A doctor slowly made his way over to the two men, one who was now absentmindedly staring at an old magazine, the other deep in thought. The older man noticed the doctor's presence and nudged the younger man. Both got up immediately.

"Do you have any news? How are the surgeries going?" Mr. Thomas asked quickly. Jack knew the man was as nervous as he was. He had witnessed the tearful goodbye Sue's parents had shared before she had been wheeled into pre-op. The man was clearly concerned for his wife, on top of everything that had taken place with his daughter. The doctor took off his scrub cap and motioned for the men to sit back down, as he joined them in the chair across. Jack could feel his heart constrict. Something was clearly wrong, and he knew Mr. Thomas could sense it too, as his back remained rigid. The doctor removed his scrub cap before beginning in a solemn tone.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."


	31. Chapter 29

_A/N – I think that the majority of chapters I've written have started with apologies, and most certainly, this will be one of them!! I am so sorry it's taken me SO long to get this story updated! It sure is a continual work in progress. No matter how busy I am though, it is always on my mind. It just seems as you get older, there are so many other priorities in life and this one has taken such a back seat. I promise that I will finish this story eventually and hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm even getting some ideas for a new story (not that I would start that until I finish this!) Let's hope there's some more writing time in my future!! As always, your dedication and support means so much to me – that so many of you have stuck with me for so long, when I've been so dreadful at updating. You are all my inspiration. _

_P.S. if you're a little confused as to what's happened, it's okay – things will always be more clarified later on if you don't quite catch what I'm inferring has happened :-)_

**Chapter 29:**

Agents silently surrounded the warehouse where they had now confirmed the lab for the bacteria was being held. After a few hours of surveillance, they knew that over two dozen men had entered the building and not exited - as of yet. Clearly, the attack that was planned was going to be of massive proportions. Although it seemed that the agents had stopped the attack from happening, the barrier of dozens of terrorists with weaponized bacteria in their possession stood in their way to ensuring the safety of an unaware city. It was going to take a miracle for them to capture the wanted men and yet prevent any contamination of the weaponized bacteria.

Myles, Bobby, and Dimitrius each stood in different locations, several other agents following their lead. While Bobby intended on storming the main door, Myles and his team had the back door covered to prevent anyone from escaping through that route, and also to provide backup. Dimitrius and his group waiting near the large warehouse doors in case any vehicles tried to leave. The three men glanced at each other, confirming that each was ready with a nod.

Just as Bobby was about to signal his teams entry, a sudden noise came from inside the warehouse. All teams turned to see the large warehouse door slowly creak open. This was their only chance. Bobby signaled to his men and they stormed through the door, guns at the ready.

----

The older man grasped Jack's arm as a sob shook his frame. Jack could not produce any words, as he sat rigid in the chair, silent. The only movement he made was to lay his other hand on Mr. Thomas's. The doctor stood, and ran a hand over his nearly bald head.

"Again, I'm very sorry for your loss." Jack couldn't even look at him. He didn't even notice the man walking away. All he could do was turn and look at Sue's father and the grief that was currently overwhelming him.

"This can't be happening. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Jack whispered quietly, feeling the sting of his own tears. He grasped Mr. Thomas's hand in his own and said all that he could say - "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

----

Over an hour later, the raid was over. Several agents had been injured, two severely. Several of the terrorists had been killed, but those who were not, were now in custody. The weaponized bacteria had been contained and was now being removed by a biohazard team. There was an overwhelming sense of relief for all of the agents involved, except 3. Bobby and Dimitrius rushed towards one of the ambulance, where their friend lay on the stretcher, with an oxygen mask on and blood running down his arm.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" They could hear him say as he attempted to sit up and remove his oxygen mask. The paramedic pushed him right back down. Bobby and Dimitrius breathed a sigh of relief. They had heard that Myles had been hit, but clearly, he wasn't too badly injured.

"Are you alright Mate?" Bobby asked as they arrived next to the gurney, stepping around the paramedic who was putting pressure on Myles's bleeding arm. Myles grimaced in pain at the pressure. The paramedic responded.

"Your friend should be fine. He sustained a bullet wound to his upper left arm – went right through. He is bleeding a lot though, so we will be transporting him to the hospital as soon as possible. Depending on the damage done, it may require surgery."

"But he should be alright?" Dimitrius asked again. The paramedic nodded, as his partner came to help lift Myles into the back of the ambulance. The two men watched as their friend was carried away to the hospital, before making their way back to their car in order to follow.

----

One of the nurses had come for Mr. Thomas, so he could fill out all the forms and make the final arrangements. The man left in absolutely grief – tear tracks down his face, his shoulders humped over in defeat. Jack stayed sitting on the hard hospital chair, waiting in absolutely shock, unsure of what he should do, where he should go. He didn't even notice another nurse calling for him.

When he didn't respond, the nurse came over, and took the seat next to him.

"Mr. Hudson?" Finally, Jack turned towards her, and nodded. "Miss. Thomas is just coming out of recovery and will be back in her room shortly. Would you like to go see her?" At that moment, Jack had never felt so torn in his life. He was so weighed down by grief, yet so relieved that the woman he loved was still alive. He nodded again, still at a loss for words, and stood up, ready to follow the nurse to Sue's room.


End file.
